EVENTS at a dialogue last month by Penang civil society caused a split between government backbenchers in the state legislative assembly today.

R.S.N. Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) and several PKR reps in the house stood on opposing sides when the former censored some government backbenchers for not defending the state government at the Penang Forum dialogue on flash floods and hill slope developments although they were present.

Rayer was speaking about landslides in Penang when he said the “experts” from the coalition of non-governmental organisation and certain individuals had all blamed the state government for the incidents.

He said of the several assemblymen present at the dialogue, only DAP’s Pulau Tikus rep Yap Soo Huey spoke up for the state.

“I salute her for having the courage. She was heckled while she spoke and none of the reps, including the opposition assemblymen helped her,” he said when debating the state’s Budget 2018.

Rayer insisted those present should have defended the state government and said not all landslides were caused by developments. 

He said the dialogue, which was attended by 200 members of the public, was one-sided.

The dialogue was attended by state opposition leader Jahara Hamid (Teluk Air Tawar), Muhammad Farid Saad (Pulau Betong) and Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain Shah (Teluk Bahang) from Barisan Nasional (BN); and Cheah Kah Peng (Kebun Bunga), Dr Norlela Ariffin (Penanti) and Lee Khai Loon (Machang Bubok) from PKR, apart from Yap who was the only DAP assemblyman present.

Others present were Penang BN chairman Teng Chang Yeow, several Gerakan leaders, and Penang Front Party’s Patrick Ooi, who has been critical of the Penang government.

Yap said she had tried to say that there were strict regulations in place for developments on hill land and slopes.

She said she also asked several questions to the panellists but not all were answered.

“The incident happened fast and the dialogue was organised by members of the public. Usually they lack experience in dealing with such situations.

“During the dialogue’s question-and-answer session, the politicians present were asked to give their views. Perhaps after what I went through, the others didn’t want to speak,” she said.

Yap also said the heckling was planned, as some of those in the audience were from other political parties.

Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy also expressed regret only Yap spoke up to present an alternative view.

Ramasamy said he was not defending the state government, as the administration could not be right all the time; but he wanted to stress the dialogue was hijacked by certain quarters to attack the state.

Before the dialogue was held, the NGOs had started criticising the state government for allowing hill slope developments. 

This was following floods in Penang on September 15 and a landslide at a construction site near a hill in Tanjung Bungah that killed 11 people on October 21.

During an earlier press conference to highlight the concerns of NGOs, including residents associations, some representatives of the groups warned the present government that it could be kicked out in the coming general election. 

The remarks did not sit well with some in the state government.

Jahara, who had also addressed the dialogue audience briefly, asked the state why it was so sensitive about the remarks.

She said PH politicians and their supporters talked about removing the government in Putrajaya all the time.

Cheah and Norlela are among a group of PKR reps in the House, dubbed the PKR 5, who had run-ins with their PH colleagues in the past after they abstained from voting against a BN motion on land reclamation two years ago. – November 9, 2017.