STAR Thursday December 3, 2009
STATE Assembly Speaker Datuk Abdul Halim Hussein has disallowed non-assemblymen from holding press conferences at the state legislative assembly complex on Light Street following two consecutive days of street demonstrations which resulted in damage to the fencing of the building.
Non-assemblymen, who may be politicians, need to notify officers of the assembly if they wish to hold such conferences or media briefings, Abdul Halim said when commenting on the outcry by Penang Gerakan on the latest ruling posted on the security booth at the side entrance of the complex.
They should also be accompanied by an assemblyman for such gatherings and preferably, they should hold the briefings at the selected areas such as the lobby, chamber rooms or the Opposition room.
“On Tuesday, we even disallowed a PKR Youth delega- tion from holding a press con- ference. We are fair and we need to safeguard the sanctity, security and safety of those attending the sitting’s proceedings,” he added.
Despite the ruling, state Gerakan assistant secretary Goh Kheng Sneah held a press conference in the Opposition room and berated the latest ruling, saying it made a mockery of the proposed Freedom of Information enactment which the state wanted to legislate.
“It is uncalled for. Why restrict politicians from speaking? This is the DAP type of administration.”
Goh nevertheless led fellow Gerakan members to briefly demonstrate with banners and placards which read “Lim who is the son of Malacca should stop destroying Penang”.
Security guards then intervened and asked them to stop in light of the notice posted.
Goh also revealed that in the latest Malaysian Industrial Development Authority report, Penang recorded a steep fall in investments from RM10.7bil last year to RM1.7bil so far this year.
He said that Lim’s statement last month that he had rejected RM10bil worth of investments because the state could not guarantee an adequate pool of qualified electronic and electrical engineers, had eroded the state’s competitiveness as it was picked up and highlighted by the Singa-porean media.
Goh said under the Barisan Nasional-led Government, Penang traditionally competed with Singapore for investments in the manufacturing sector, the mainstay of both islands’ economies.
Lim in his response said Gerakan was living in a different planet by saying that Penang competed with Singapore, adding that it was Malaysia which was competing with the island republic.
He said Penang intended to complement Singapore on different levels in the manufacturing sector as the latter had progressed more rapidly in the hi-tech produc-tion.
“We can complement each other. The main issue here is that we are experiencing a severe brain drain as many locals are working in Singapore or the Middle East.”