PETALING JAYA, 26 June 2009: Penang and two other Pakatan Rakyat-led states – Kedah and Kelantan – were among six states that received the lowest allocations from the government’s stimulus package.
Citing data available from the government’s Treasury website, DAP’s Jalan Tembikai branch deputy chairperson Steven Sim said, for example, that Penang was only receiving 0.8% of the federal government’s RM60bil stimulus package.
“The meagre allocation to Penang’s development in these challenging economic times does not make sense to our country’s economy as a whole,” he said in a statement today.
Sim noted that Penang contributed to about 30% of the country’s total exports, yet only RM75.51mil of the development funds from the stimulus package was allocated to the state.
“We urge the prime minister to consider the contribution of the state and people of Penang when allocating the stimulus package,” said Sim.
He said that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng submitted an application for an RM11bil allocation for 21 critical projects in Penang, including the monorail project (RM2.5bil), Penang Outer Ring Road (RM1.5bil), and the Mengkuang Dam expansion project (RM1.1bil).
Sim added that the federal government should dispense public funds according to economic and social needs, instead of using it as political reward or punishment.
He also urged the prime minister to ensure that Penang remained a competitive economic hub.
“One of the urgent measures should be the upgrading of facilities and infrastructures in Penang…We should not need to wait for overseas visitors such as (Singapore Minister Mentor) Lee Kuan Yew to comment about the state of our facilities before taking action,” said Sim.
To overcome the global financial crisis, the government launched its first stimulus package of RM7bil on 4 Nov 2008 and the second of RM60bil on 10 March 2009.
On 15 June 2009, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced in Parliament that close to 100% or RM6.95bil of the first stimulus package has been disbursed. 
jintan says
What the BN govt has shown is that it has not changed its tactics of being vindictive to the PR coalition controlled states. The value that the BN portrays to the general public is an unhealthy one, by being a bad example of leadership. Good leadership means that a fair allocation should be made to whichever state, proportionate to their need and potential for growth so that it might be to the overall good of the country.
I am disappointed that being generous is not in the spirit of the BN. One cannot to build a good country on bad attitudes!
Come on BN, please show some good manners. Then, you will win back some more votes!
aca says
It’s deliberate to penalise the opposition states. Wonder if that’s 1Malaysia at work. Thanks Najib, and I will continue to vote for PR because of BN’s “cakap tak serupa bikin”. We will tighten our belts and though we earn less, less tax will be paid and ultimately less wastage by BN cronies.
Nicholas Aw says
There is no denying that PR-led states will receive the lowest allocations. The objective is obvious: tighten the grip so that the people will suffer and will shift their support for BN. Nonetheless, I hope the rakyat will persevere and show the BN government that we do not submit to their ransom.
Perhaps taking over at the federal level will allow a just distribution of federal allocations. If things don’t work out we can always return BN to power after 5 years.
Main says
I think it went to other much needed sectors in the Malaysian economic fraternity so that more liquidity can be gained in a certain economic period . Penang can strive on its own judging from what was promised and executed. Isn’t the rakyat much more important than anything else?
Being given a meagre portion economically as Pakatan led states is out of the question.