Koh singles out Ooi as ignorant, irresponsible in spreading hearsay

GEORGE TOWN, Wed: 

A visibly irritated Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon has branded those who claimed that Penang had lost its dynamism and competitiveness as ignorant and irresponsible.

Singling out Jeff Ooi, who is contesting the Jelutong parliamentary seat on a DAP ticket, he accused the controversial blogger of spreading hearsay stories in campaign rounds.

"I want to ask those who criticise us if they have visited any factories,” he said. "I have visited a lot of factories, promoted them and worked with them closely. My first question to him (Ooi) is how many factories has he visited. I can name all these factories which I am sure he is not even aware of.”

The outgoing chief minister said the Penang government has the facts and figures to prove that the island was still a vibrant economy, including the fact that 200 multinationals were still doing good business in the state.

"If you go to the industrial area you will see for yourself that the factories are still there and they are functioning,” he said. "Yet, some people are saying they (the factories) are pulling out. What kind of a story is this. It is ignorant and irresponsible.”

Koh said this after presenting a progress report on Penang from 2004 to 2008. A booklet detailing all the state government's successes over the past four years would be distributed to the people here by the state Barisan Nasional when its candidates go on their house to house campaign rounds.

Among the achievements highlighted include how Penang was now ranked one of the top 10 most liveable cities in Asia, honoured as the first state to roll-out a MSC Cyber City outside the Multimedia Super Corridor and identified as the hub for the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER).

Koh said besides being the state with the lowest hardcore poverty rate in the country, Penang was also attracting the highest amount of investment in its history.

Infrastructure projects like the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR), Jelutong Expressway and Bayan Baru elevated highway had been completed while the RapidPenang bus service had also been introduced. Other projects like the monorail are in the final stages of planning.

On the DAP manifesto, Koh said the BN had already addressed the issues raised by the opposition party. "We have done the work while they are stuck at the level of words only. They have been talking when we have been walking and working," he said.

--NST