Barisan Nasional is not convinced Penang has a industrial development plan even though a local think-tank said there had been 200 roundtable consultations with various sectors.

State BN working committee chairperson Teng Hock Nan said a 'draft final' version cannot be considered a blueprint as it is yet to be adopted and approved by the state executive council.

NONEHe added that if chief minister Lim Guan Eng does not really have a blueprint, it should just be "honest" and come right out and say so.

"If you have one, publicise it for Penangites to see. If you do not have one yet, say so," he told Malaysiakini.

"If you are still in the process of consultation, don't say it is a blueprint yet...it is still a draft," he added.

Teng, who is Gerakan state chief, questioned whether the state exco, which meets every Wednesday, has indeed adopted the 'draft'.

Without the state exco's approval, it would be wrong to consider it a blueprint because amendments and revisions continue to be made, said Teng.

"That's why we find it very odd that the state government is telling investors that we have a blueprint to lure them to come to Penang to invest when no one knows about it," he said.

Anticipation building for blueprint release

"Don't try to make it look so murky...just be honest, if we do not have it, say no," Teng said in response to a question yesterday if former chief minister Koh Tsu Koon was planning to "sabotage" the Greater Penang Transformation Programme by calling for the release of the state's blueprint.

NONESocio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (Seri) executive director Liew Chin Tong asked if Koh, who is Minister in the Prime Minister's department, was ready to see a joint federal-state plan to be produced.

Liew, who is DAP Bukit Bendera MP, said about 200 roundtable consultations were conducted between April and October last year, where a "draft final" version was printed and circulated among policymakers and key state civil servants.

Liew stressed that amendments were made and the blueprint was ready to go to the public for consultation and affirmation.

Koh challenged Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on Sunday to officially unveil his promised Penang blueprint for the sake of Penangites.

Meanwhile, after a BN working committee meeting yesterday, information chief, Loga Bala Mohan gave the state government a week to unveil the plan to the public for comments.

Loga Bala, who is People's Progressive Party state chief, said Penangites had the right to know about the plan and urged Lim to not only publicise the document, but explain its content.