BN needs new blood to reclaim Penang

By Hawkeye - Free Malaysia Today

GEORGE TOWN: Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) is calling for an infusion of new blood in Barisan Nasional if the coalition wants to recapture Penang in the next general election.
Its vice-president Huan Cheng Guan said this is an important aspect, which BN must realise before it is too late.

PCM is a small independent Penang-based party but since its inception last year, it has become a BN-friendly entity.

According to Huan, it is important that the old guard in Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC here make way for new blood as the public are generally fed up of old leaders.

"As the saying goes, if one overstays, one has exhausted one's welcome. This is what is happening in Penang. We need leaders who can exit gracefully and not linger around too long."

Huan said it is unfortunate that BN is still stuck with an uncertain direction because its old leaders find it difficult to adapt to the new political challenges, post-2008.

Their indecisive action have derailed the momentum for BN to become a strong opposition voice in Penang, Huan claimed.

He said the voice of the young must also be incorporated into BN's struggle as they represent the future of the coalition.

"I hope BN realises that it is pointless to win in their respective parties but when it comes to the general election, the same parties lose. We must showcase leaders who are accepted by the public and in the party. Not vice-versa."

Huan said the time is ripe for BN to become a credible critic of the Pakatan Rakyat-led government in Penang.

This is because the present state government is error-prone and have yet to make good on many promises they preached when campaigning for the last election, he added.

For example, he cited that DAP promised there would be free parking for ratepayers on weekends.

"Has it happened?. It has become worst actually as the parking rates in some areas were gradually increased," he claimed.

Same situation in Pakatan parties

Huan said the issue of overstaying has also afflicted Pakatan as their alliance also consists of old leaders.

However, voters do not have an alternative choice, so they have decided to support an inexperienced Pakatan, he said.

He also urged BN to play it tough in Penang, saying the federal government should suspend funding for the state, since the Pakatan government had previously declared it was capable of finding its own monetary resources to govern the state.

"If we continue to pamper Penang with funding, the Pakatan government would become complacent and start shifting blame on everything to the federal-side. This is happening now."

Huan challenged Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to reveal the investment figures he has obtained following 11 overseas trips to entice investors from all corners of the globe.

It is not only the role of the federal government to govern, the state government and its local authorities must also aspire to deliver good governance to the people, he said.

He also hopes the traditional critical mindset of Penangites would come to root in the next election.

While they may continue to vote for Pakatan, they should also give more seats to BN, so the coalition can become a better watchdog of the former's administration, he said.