DAP Penang

Penang CM did not turn down US$3bil investment

By admin on November 2nd, 2009

GEORGE TOWN (Nov 1, 2009) : Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng did not turn down the USD3bil (RM10.2bil) investment as claimed by Gerakan economic bureau head Wan Sun Keong at the Gerakan National Delegates’ Conference yesterday.

Lim’s special investment officer Jeffrey Chew said in a press statement released today that Lim had never turned down any quality investment by multi-national companies.

Lim Guan Eng

“Instead Lim has worked hard to make Penang an attractive investment location of choice by focusing on developing physical and human infrastructure as well as running a clean government based on CAT (competency, accountability and transparency),” he said.

Calling Wan’s statement as a “mindless attack” against the Chief Minister by claiming that Lim had turned down a RM30 billion foreign investment because he “could not commit 1,000 engineers” in the state, Chew said Wan’s statement was all lies.

“Lim had stated 1,000 electrical and electronic (E & E) engineers, not 1,000 engineers. In fact, he had said Penang lost a USD3 billion investment because he could not guarantee 1,000 E & E engineers,” said Chew.

He pointed out that even Tenaga Nasional faces a shortage of electrical engineers and that E & E engineers are in great demand by the E & E sector, especially by multi-national companies in Penang.

“That is why Lim had urged the federal government to invest in educational facilities in Penang to train more E & E engineers,” he said.

The state saved nearly RM36mil in operating expenses last year and saw an increase in assets of 21.1% to RM1.025bil,” he said.

Chew criticised the Gerakan young leaders for picking up the ‘bad habits’ of their senior leaders to continue using lies as facts.

“Instead of taking time to make baseless allegations against Lim, Gerakan leaders should be demanding that Barisan Nasional either sack Umno leaders for humiliating Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon last year or else protect its dignity by withdrawing from BN entirely,” he said.

On Saturday, Wan slammed Lim for turning down the investment because ‘he could not guarantee 1,000 engineers’ in the state but when asked for comment, Lim said he did not turn down the investment but that the investor did not want to come because he could not guarantee them that the state has 1,000 E & E engineers.

The Sun – 01 Nov 2009
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=39648