PENANG caretaker chief minister Lim Guan Eng is facing his undersea tunnel project nemesis from Barisan Nasional, Penang MCA Youth chief Lee Beng Seng, and Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) vice-president Huan Cheng Guan in the fight to defend Bagan for Pakatan Harapan.

Lim is also facing  Malaysian United Party’s (MUP) Koay Xing Boon, making the fight for the Bagan federal seat a four-cornered one.

DAP has held Bagan for the last seven terms since 1986. Lim has represented it for two terms.

Returning officer Rozali Mohamud announced the candidates at the nomination centre at SJK (C) Kwang Hwa on Jalan Raja Uda at about 1pm.

Lim, who is DAP’s secretary-general, won Bagan by 34,159 votes in 2013 against BN and PCM. In 2008, when he first ran for the seat, he won with a majority of 22,070 votes against BN.

Bagan has 71,583 voters made up of 71.27% Chinese, 14.94% Indians and 13.44% Malays.

It covers Bagan Dalam, Bagan Jermal, and Sungai Puyu. It is synonymous with Butterworth’s old town, also known as “Bei Hai” (Northern Sea) to the Chinese.

A transportation hub, it is home to the iconic Penang ferries, Penang Port, and the upcoming Penang Sentral, which will serve as the northern state’s integrated terminal for all bus, rail, and sea transportation services, as well as the Mak Mandin Industrial Estate.

The Penang government, the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP), and Think City are working on reviving Butterworth with the “New Butterworth Image Plan” that aims to gentrify certain parts of the old town.

To further spur the growth of the northern Seberang Prai town, the state government has proposed to build an undersea tunnel connecting Bagan Ajam in Butterworth to Persiaran Gurney on the island.

Penang BN has pledged to stop the tunnel project. In recent years, PCM’s Huan has lodged reports with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the tunnel project, which is part of a larger one including three major highways. The anti-graft agency’s investigation into the project and its contractor is still ongoing.

The three state seats under Bagan are also seeing five-cornered fights.

Sungai Puyu, Bagan Jergal, and Bagan Dalam will be contested by candidates from PH, BN, PRM, MUP and Penang Front Party. – April 28, 2018.