HIS views may no longer carry any weight in the current Penang state administration matters but former DAP stalwart Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy reckoned that his ex-comrade Chow Kon Yeow (main pic, right) should have accepted the so-called ‘stinging remarks’ by Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s (PCCC) life honorary president Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping (main pic, left) “in good faith as constructive criticism”.
Stressing that the Chief Minister should have taken Tan’s opinion of him with a pinch of salt, the former deputy to Chow said the Penang DAP chairman’s undoing to take on the PCCC may backfire on him or even trigger anger among DAP loyalists.
“It’s not just one individual (Tan alone) but the entire PCCC which is the eyes and ears of the Chinese business community in Penang,” Ramasamy told FocusM.
“He should not forget that without the support of the Chinese business community, DAP would not have established itself in Penang. It is the case of the biting the hands that feed you.”
To re-cap, Chow said yesterday (Oct 19) that he will file a legal suit against Tan over the latter’s remarks against him.
The four-term Padang Kora state assemblyman said his action has been endorsed by the state EXCO meeting which unanimously decided that legal action be taken against the reputable community leader.
On Wednesday (Oct 18), Tan in a joint press conference with PCCC president Datuk Seri Hong Yeam Wah went on a diatribe against Chow regarding the Batu Kawan Industrial Park 2 (BKIP2) a.k.a. Byram Industrial Park land deal fiasco between Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and UMECH Land Sdn Bhd.
Tan who spoke mainly in Mandarin had reportedly described the Kuala Lumpur-born Chow as “incompetent, useless and shameless” over the whole land deal controversy. His comments were published in most Chinese dailies that covered the press conference.
“If Chow wanted to sue Tan, why does he need the backing of the state EXCO? He should be man enough to sue in entirely his individual capacity” chided Ramasamy who was the former three-term Perai state assemblyman.
“The UMECH Land fiasco is not going away. To-date, he still defends the controvsersial deal and PDC in particular. It would take a brave CM to revamp the state-owned corporation. Unfortunately, Chow is too timid to do so.” – Oct 20, 2023
