Opposition assemblyman accuses Guan Eng of being unrepentant

GEORGE TOWN: An opposition assemblyman has accused Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of being unrepentant for still trying to point fingers at other parties for the floods in Seberang Perai Utara and Seberang Perai Tengah which have not fully subsided yet.
Datuk Muhamad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong) said he was saddened over the chief minister's attitude at laying blame on others.
"I thought he had repented and would no longer find fault with others, but barely two days, when the flood waters had not even subsided, he has already blamed it on Kedah," he said during the debate on the Supply Bill 2018 at the Penang State Assembly here today.
Yesterday, when announcing the Pulau Pinang Bangkit programme to help flood victims in the state assembly, Lim said the flood waters had begun to subside, except in Seberang Perai Utara and Seberang Perai Tengah which were still feeling the effects of flooding in Kedah, which had overflowed into rivers there.
Besides a one-off payment of RM500 to the flood victims, Lim also announced exemption for water conservation surcharge payments to domestic users for one cycle (two months) as well as a 50% water discount on bills for domestic users and 25% for commercial users (per cycle).
Muhamad Farid, however, placed on record his gratitude to the state government for the RM500 aid to be given to the flood victims in the state.
"Although I proposed RM2,000 in this assembly, the RM500 aid will still help those in need," he said.
On the exemption of the water conservation surcharge for one cycle for domestic users, Muhamad Farid said the government should have abolished the surcharge.
"Previously there was no surcharge, it was the state government which imposed the surcharge. It would have been better to have abolished it," he said. — Bernama