I READ with incredulity the reply from Abdul Malik Kassim (“Leader s’ presence was to give advice” — NST, June 23) in response tomy letter “Show by example you’re different” (NST, June 19).

This admission flies in the face of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s competency, accountability and transparency (CAT) policy. This goes to show that the concept is not really a policy tool for better governance and sustainable development in the state. Abdul Malik’s claim that Lim Kit Siang and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim “gave valuable advice to the people of Penang in handling the situation and combating inflation” is a misrepresentation of what transpired. I spoke to people who attended the function and also checked in media publications, websites and blogs before writing this letter. All of them point to the fact that the event was a political function to further the ambitions of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, which hopes to exploit the sentiments of the people after the fuel price hike. For example, Kit Siang, DA P ’s adviser, had stated that the June 15 function was a “Protest oil price hike ceramah” in his blog. Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi, the Pas member of parliament for Kuala Terengganu, was quoted as saying that the function was the first of PKR’s nationwide “strike against the hike” p r o t e s t s. None of the speakers at the ceramah was reported to have dispensed any “valuable advice” to the attendees. Instead, itwas a ceramah to attack the Federal Government’s decision to increase the price of fuel. Guan Eng has been portrayed as a simple man and his forgoing of executive entitlements has been given publicity. However, as this case has shown, the reality is different. He has not walked the talk. While he has hit out against the fuel price hike, he has done nothing of significance to alleviate the hardship of Penang ites. I would like to challenge him to display his self-proclaimed “transparenc y” by coming clear on this issue.

Source: NST – June 26, 2008