FOR Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, leaving Penang after being its chief minister for 10 years, is both a triumph and a loss.

“I cannot bear to leave. I feel a sense of loss, having to leave my beloved Penang,” he told reporters this morning.

He was going around hawker centres and markets in his state constituency of Air Putih to thank voters for their support and to give out flowers to mothers to mark Mother’s Day today.

“Penang was the state that first gave us the opportunity to show that we can govern much better than Barisan Nasional.”

Lim, who led the opposition to win Penang for three consecutive terms with huge majorities each time, said the state was PH’s launchpad that showed Malaysia what the coalition could do as a federal government.

“We showed that we could transform Penang, which was in decline, into an intelligent international city and a vibrant and dynamic state filled with optimism.

“We showed that people’s lives could be better. I think people feel that very much. We have all managed to work together to make Penang cleaner, greener, safer and healthier,” he said.

Lim said he would use the lessons he learnt leading Penang so that the successes of the northern state could be applied in Malaysia.

“After 10 years, we can all say we are proud to be ‘Penang Lang’ (Penangites). 

“Hopefully, in five years, we will all be proud to say we are ‘anak bangsa Malaysia’ (Malaysians).”

Lim also said Penang PH will be organising a ceramah tomorrow night at the Esplanade in George Town to welcome the new chief minister, Chow Kon Yeow.

“It is also a farewell ceramah for me. I don’t have the opportunity to visit the whole state to thank Penangites for their support, so I hope they will come and join us,” he said. – May 13, 2018.