Speech by Lim Guan Eng on "The Future of Penang and its Directions" in the Penang Club on Wednesday, 27th July 2011:

Transforming Penang into an international, intelligent and high-income economy by giving freedom of choice and making Penang a city of achievers.

Malaysia was recently ranked as the most peaceful country in South East Asia by the Global Peace Index. But that was before the harsh police attacks on peaceful demonstrators in the Bersih Rally on 9 July 2011 and the Royal Commission Inquiry on Teoh Beng Hock.

To attain peace Malaysians must stand united and reject those who wish to divide us by preaching racial and religious hatred. If we want to benefit from equal opportunities and realize our human potential we must stop extremists from continually degrading others as inferiors so as to uplift ourselves.

We can only achieve harmony together. Despite our differences and diversity, Malaysians can make our common aspirations of freedom, justice, democracy and truth come true if we remember key values.

That it is not who we are that is important, but what we are that is important; not the colour of our skin that is important but the content of our character; and not our past ancestry that is important but how we connect with the present and with each other to face the future.

We can only be prosperous together. The time has come to focus on the economy, in employment, education and business opportunities as the conditions for prosperity. We must build human talent and be performance-based.

The time has come for Malaysians to choose carefully. Only a two-party system can ensure peace, harmony and that Malaysia's rich natural resources benefit 27 million Malaysians. A two-party system requires a strong opposition which can not only deny BN its customary two-thirds majority but also able to form the government.

For those who say that PR do not know how to govern, the 4 PR states of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan have proven our ability by beating the other 10 BN states by attracting RM25 billion in investments comprising 53% of Malaysia's total investments of RM47.2 billion in 2010. For the first time in history, Penang is now the new champion of investments in Malaysia, coming out top in 2010 with RM 12.2 billion.

Malaysians can not compromise on corruption. Too much have been lost. The shocking revelations by the US-based financial watchdog Global Financial integrity of RM 888 billion illicit capital flight from Malaysia between 2000-2008 cost is shocking. This means that every Malaysian man, woman and child have lost RM 33,000 each over 9 years!

Since coming into power in March 2008, the PR state government has slowly regained the people's trust and confidence in the state government. To overcome public distrust of the state government as an institution that does not help but harm the people, PR has terminated the politics of patronage, cronyism and corruption. Instead PR has adopted a people's government centered on 3Es of enabling the people with skills and education, empowering them with rights or opportunities and enriching the people by ensuring that the fruits of economic success can be shared.

PR has shown our faith in the people by stressing that a good government must do three things, listen to the people, do the people's work and give hope to the people. The results of both the people having trust in the state government and the government placing faith in the wisdom of Penangites is an amazing series of historical firsts for Penang.

The 10 No.ls for Penang in Malaysia are as follows:-

Penang top in investments with RM12,238 million, the largest in Penang's history, or 26% of 2010 Malaysia's total investments;

Penang praised for good financial management topping both years 2008 and 2009;

Penang top in reducing the crime index for 2010 by 27%, the largest amongst all states;

Penang top in green initiatives to make Penang the first green state in Malaysia;

Penang top in fighting corruption being the only state government in Malaysia to be praised by Transparency International for our open tenders and CAT governance based on Competency, Accountability and Transparency;

Penang top in medical tourism with two-thirds of Malaysia's medical receipts originating from Penang;

Penang the first state to give RM100 annually to every senior citizen above 60 as well as wipe out hard-core poverty and ensuring that every family receives at least RM500 a month;

Penang has the highest air passenger growth for both domestic and foreign travelers in 2010;

Penang top in Malaysia for protecting, preserving and promoting the UNESCO World Heritage City of George Town.

Penang now on top as the most livable city in Malaysia on par with Kuala Lumpur.

Further, Penang continues to enjoy not only the cheapest water rates but also the best water quality. There are 750 free wifi hotspots in our efforts to make Penang a wifi state. Penang is also the only state with a Speakers' Square where there is freedom of speech as well as freedom after speech.

The successes of Penang have given both the government and the people the self-confidence to move forward. Penangites can be better and succeed not because of the colour of our skin or our background or our ancestry; but through hard work and intelligence.

We can transforming Penang into an international, intelligent and high-income economy by giving freedom of choice and making Penang a city of achievers. Let us work together regardless of race and religion to make Penang cleaner, greener and safer for our children.

Let us therefore teach our children hope and build their confidence that they can be as good as they want and not be inferior merely on account of the colour of their skin.

Malaysians despair when some politicians tell our children that they can never be good enough, that they need special rights and favours to survive. How do we build up a child's confidence if we instil this sense of inferiority that they need special assistance, especially when this special assistance never comes?

When we implemented open tenders, BN claimed that Malays will lose out because they could not compete. But after 3 years where 70% of the tenders are won by Malays, Malays are as competent as others. It is not Malay contractors but UMNO contractors that can not compete.

Malaysian parents are anguished that no matter how well their child performs, he will never be chosen on account of the colour of their skin. How do you explain to your little girl why she can not get a place into a premier institution even though she scores good results?

Have we not learnt our lessons for not harnessing our human talents and tapping their expertise? Do we want to see more Malaysians migrating as more than 2 million have done so since 1957? Look at the success of Singapore in surpassing Malaysia for the first time this year as the 3rd largest economy in ASEAN after Indonesia and Thailand.

Or South Korea whose GDP per capita was one third of Malaysia in the early 60s but is now 3 times that of Malaysia despite having a bigger population of 48 million people.

Despite having no resources, Singapoare GDP this year as grown to US$210 billion compared to Malaysia's US$205 billion. Malaysia is 478 times the size of the republic and its population, at 27 million, 5 times larger than its tiny neighbour's 4.8 million. Can Malaysia catch up when last year, Singapore's GDP per capita was US$36,537 (up from US$512 in 1965) compared with Malaysia's US$ 6,975 (US$ 335 in 1965)?

We can if we start building human talent and retaining them. We must give hope that our children can live better than their parents. Let us inspire hope by stressing on performance not privilege, expertise not entitlement and integrity not corruption.

Let us be bonded by our common aspirations for justice, freedom, truth, democracy and social welfare for the weak and poor. Let us build a future for our children to live in a cleaner, greener and smarter Malaysia.

Only an economy free from corruption can we ensure that the people prosper and benefit. Let us embrace a future free from fear and cronyism. Let us embrace the future by embracing every Malay, Indian, Chinese, Kadazan and Iban, as Malaysian brothers and sisters, Malaysian sons and daughters.

Then only can we grow together, learn together and enjoy the success together.

*Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan.