IT looks like trouble could be brewing in the Tanjung Bungah state seat for Pakatan Harapan, as voters and residents take advantage of the general election to raise local issues and slam the state government.

This morning, residents of Miami Green Resort Condominium in the affluent Batu Ferringhi area gave the new PH candidate for the seat, Zairil Khir Johari a tough time as they grilled him over approval for hill slope projects.

The condo residents had organised a dialogue at the condo to object against a proposed high-rise development deemed environmentally sensitive on a steep hill slope behind their homes. They want the project cancelled due to fear of landslides and safety concerns.

Zairil, who was previously the MP for Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat, where Tanjung Bungah is located, tried to defend the state government and its policy on hill slope projects – stressing that such developments would not be approved if the developers did not meet the guidelines.

But some residents were unhappy and Zairil received some boos. One woman was heard telling the soft-spoken Penang DAP leader that they “don’t need a wakil pemaju (developer’s rep)”.

When a reporter at the dialogue asked him what he planned to do about the project should he be elected as assemblyman, Zairil said he would review the guidelines for such projects.

Barisan Nasional’s candidate for Tanjung Bungah Teng Chang Yeow, who also attended the dialogue, was in a better position to say what the residents wanted to hear – that he would stop all projects on hill slopes above 250ft if BN won the election.

“Stopping hill slope projects is in the Penang BN manifesto, and also mine for Tanjung Bungah,” the state Gerakan chairman and former Penang tourism exco said.

The dialogue was also attended by Malaysian United Party’s Lee Zheng Yong and Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Chua Cheong Wee, a former journalist, who are also gunning for Tanjung Bungah in the four-cornered fight.

For the last two terms, the Tanjung Bungah seat was held by former DAP rep Teh Yee Cheu, who is well-known for championing the environment. He won the seat with a 5,515 vote-majority in 2013. – April 29, 2018.