Guan Eng: It’s a new form of colonialism

PENANG: Re-routing the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry funds via a different body such as Mara is a new form of colonialism, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

Lim hoped Minister Datuk Noh Omar would reconsider the decision as such a move would give a wrong impression to the public.

For years, it has been the practice by the Ministry to channel funds worth RM100 mil a year to the respective State Economic Development Corporations.

The money was used for purposes such as upgrading facilities and financing programmes for the benefit of the people.

However, on Saturday Noh announced that the funds would bechannelled via Mara, to prevent the rakyat from being "victimised". He did not explain what he meant by the word "victimised".

Such a move was tantamount to forming a parallel government, Lim told reporters during the Mount Miriam Hospital "Ho Chiak" Charity Food and Fun Fair on Sunday.

Lim said that even now there was a separate tourism action council in the state, and the council did not have representatives from the state.

“If this goes on and they (federal government) set up a parallel system and parallel frameworks or other councils, it would be seen as a form of colonialism.

He said the state government would not object to the setting up of similar type of action councils but there should be state representation.

--THE STAR