Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has slammed Prime Minister Najib Razak for ignoring Penang in the Budget 2013.

"I feel very upset that there is nothing for Penang!" said Lim at a press conference today.

Pakatan dinner Lim Guan Eng Lim, the DAP secretary-general, said Najib had failed to honour even the last budget where Penang was promised 200 buses to facilitate public transport, but "the vehicles have not arrived yet".

"What kind of ‘Janji Ditepati’ (promises fulfilled) is this?" he said sarcastically.

Lim said there had been many complaints of inadequate affordable housing in Penang, yet the federal government has done nothing to help ease this problem.

He added that at this rate, Penang would have to find its own financial resources to do so.

Penangites pay taxes too

Lim stressed that thus far, Penang has been building 12,000 units of the homes - 4,000 units directly by the state and the remaining 8,000 by the private sector - since 2008.

With enough resources, Penang has plans to construct  up to 38,000 - 20,000 by the private sector and 18,000 by the state government - affordable homes in the next five years, Lim said.

"Instead he builds (affordable homes) in Kuantan and other states but not here... the problem of affordable housing in Penang is worse.

"It's not just RM72,500 types that he had mentioned but those which cost up to RM400,000.

He said Penang had hoped to get something from the federal government's 2013 budget.

"We want to remind the federal government that Penangites also pay taxes. We are very disappointed that there is nothing for Penang," Lim said.

"Never mind, if there is no love (for the state), but there is also no buses, no affordable housing and no MRT as promised," he added.

In 2010, government-owned bus company Rapid Penang announced that 200 more buses would be to their fleet on October the following year to help push up public transport usage from 30,000 to 75,000 commuters a day.

Meanwhile, state MCA Wanita chief Tan Cheng Liang has taken Lim to task for his "double standard attitude in insulting" Najib's budget announcement.
 
Tan said the "scathing insults" displays his typical reaction of slamming BN for anything which may threaten his seat of power in Penang despite the actions benefitting many Malaysians.

The budget, tabled at Parliament yesterday, had been roundly praised by the public and stakeholders alike for encompassing all levels of society, she added.

"Perhaps Lim should take a look at his own state in Penang before talking nonsense.
 
"While the BN federal government gives aid to all Malaysians, the state government only chooses to give aid to registered voters," said Tan, who is state BN publicity chief.

"In the Budget, funding is allocated to all students, whereas in Penang, funding is allocated to students whose parents are registered as it is in other aid programmes for senior citizens, single mothers, and new born babies." she added.  

"What is this, if not a move to secure his own hold in Penang? Since he took power, his arrogance and double standard attitude is simply overbearing," she stressed.