GEORGE TOWN: Relocating the Penang administrative centre from the island to the mainland is preferable to spending RM46 billion to ease traffic congestion, according to a PAS lawmaker.
Yusni Mat Piah, who is also Penang PAS secretary and state assemblyman for Penaga, said moving the seat of government to Seberang Prai would go a long way towards alleviating the traffic jam on the island.
It would also be cheaper than the proposed Penang Transport Master Plan, he added.
Yusni said it was a common perception among those living on the mainland that the state government policies were driven by island-centric priorities.
“This can be overcome if the state relocates its administrative hub to the mainland,“ he said in an interview as Pakatan Harapan (PH) marks its first year in government.
He said the proposed transport plan would take years to be realised but the people want solutions now. “They have waited long enough,“ he added.
Yusni said that in the past 12 months, the DAP-led state government had failed to show that it was on the right track. “Instead of nurturing the dream of a quality life, the people are becoming more pessimistic,“ he said.
Nibong Tebal MP Datuk Mansor Othman said Penang needed to re-energise its commitment to develop the mainland since there is limited space on the island.
“We need to balance growth between the island and the mainland,“ he said.
He said that while PH already had the experience in managing Penang’s needs given that it had been administering the state since 2008, there still was room for improvement.
He wanted people-oriented policies such as annual welfare payouts for senior citizens, the disabled and students to benefit more people.
He said the frequent floods and landslides also showed that more needs to be done to protect the environment.
