When a chief minister acts like a school bully

Updated 7 years ago · Published on 23 Nov 2018 9:14AM · 7 Comments

I AM rather surprised to see Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow act like a school bully who cannot accept his school friends not saying “yes” to his “smart” ideas and as a result start throwing tantrums at them.

That is what the chief minister is making himself look like when he cannot accept that the civil societies in Penang do not agree with his grand plans to “develop” Penang that are born out of a desire to help business people make money. He then cynically, and proudly, labels them “the new opposition”.

Not being a Penang born, he has no love for the hills and nature on the Island. How many hills on the island has he hiked across to appreciate them, to love them, to not want to destroy them for the sake of some money. He is rather like a mercenary who wants to show his party that he is a very capable person, that he is a tough nut to crack, that he is right, or perhaps even infallible.

All that desire, or greed, for “development” that is based on the amount of money to be made by some people and by the state government, is development of the penny wise pound foolish type.

The plan to build hotels up Penang Hill is to get more people up the hill and money to be made by certain parties, including the state. In doing so, in making that money, what are the long-term consequences?

“Growth” is a mischievous concept of “development” as the end does not justify the euphoria of “development”.

Look at Cameron Highlands that has been growing and growing and grown to a choking stage. It is so obese now that you can hardly move around during holiday seasons. It is now in a diseased condition.

During the healthy days of Cameron Highlands in the 1960’s and 70’s, coconut oil used to be frozen for 24 hours and used to be cut and sold by weight. Today, it never freezes 24 hours of the day! This indicates, even to a fool, how much deterioration the Highlands have suffered, all for the love of money through “development” to attract tourists.  

All that money cannot bring Cameron Highlands back to what they had been for centuries and millennia until the 1970’s when the virus of “development” attacked it.   

When even governments are consumed by greed for money, they go on a spree of destruction of nature under cover of the label of “development” which is quite easily sold to people ignorant of the consequences of over-meddling with nature.

While other countries have awoken to the damages of modern “development” and are making concerted efforts to stop further degradation of their living and life sustaining environment, the Penang government under Chow is hell bent on “development” that is further damaging the environment of Penang Island.

It is time there should be a law that only the “anak tempatan” or persons born and bred in a state and who have spent most of their life in the state, should be eligible to be chief minister or menteri besar of that state, so they don’t see it’s land, seas and hills as money making machine, but as vital life supports for healthy living. Will New Malaysia consider this? – November 23, 2018.

* Ravinder Singh reads The Malaysian Insight.

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Comments

  • CKY must think hes the reincarnation of LKY. Nobody is born ugly. Their thoughts make them so. Because they are incapable of appreciating beauty and truth, only money and power.

    Posted 7 years ago by Antares Maitreya · Reply

    • If it makes you happy ....... the deterioration in beauty of Langkawi from during the '80's onwards is much worse ...... thanks to Tun MM. Kelantan under PAS still retains its charm!

      Posted 7 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • Looks like DAP picked the wrong guy for Chief Minister of Penang. With all the floods that has come to hit Penang in the recent years, common sense will tell you that its the destruction of the forests and hills that is causing it. Stop developments in Penang and pay attention to the mainland. You can build there and develop those areas. Do not neglect the folks on that side. DAP will lose more seats in the next GE if the central committee does not have a talk with this Chief Minister. Dont be over confident, DAP.

    Posted 7 years ago by Lily Cheong · Reply

    • Voting for PAS or BN at next GE?

      Posted 7 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • I was a Penangnite, and remembered the good old schooldays camping at Kilat and Lovers' isle and bungalow stay up on the hills. But I am also cynical and realistic enough to know one can't stop development and population growth and its "miserable" consequences.

    So I found and am now living somewhere that looks similar to Penang in the '70's and seldom go back. Care to join me?

    Posted 7 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • You have a valid point sir.

    Posted 7 years ago by G.Selvakumar S.P.Ganesan · Reply

  • To develope also complaint and not to develope also compalint. So choose either one there will still be complaints. Developement is a must to ensure growth and yes obviously at the expenses of something which has to give way. Let not be obsess that developement is a bane and the main cause on the loss of natural beauties with irremediable calamities. Why can't there be proper discussion and planning through a collective understanding of state councillor , investor developer and inependent NGOs who are guardian of nature sancturay and manage the developement. Why does it have to be "one up on you status" or "I am in charge and you listen". Everybody wants the best for themselves and also to retain the best for the future generation. Truthfully we need developement to inculcate and effect changes to retain what we treasure most by managing it with discipline , love and appreciation.

    Posted 7 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply