And those words that he will use against BN’s proposal to swallow Penang state into federal territory are: “I love Penang.”
Launching the “I Love Penang” movement today, the chief minister said his people will “fight hate with love” to protect the identity of Penang as a state. He called on all his fellow citizens to “tell them not to touch Penang”.
Lim said: “The next polls will be very important in preserving and ensuring the existence of Penang. We won’t be too aggressive. We won’t use hateful means like others. When they use hate, we will use love.
“I suggest we launch a statewide campaign to show we love Penang, to show we want Penang to survive, to tell them not to touch Penang.”
Speaking to around a thousand Penangites at the Penang DAP Chinese New Year open house at the Shang Wu primary school today, he said: “Let us have a ‘I Love Penang’ movement or campaign. Will you support it?”
As he spoke, Lim put out his hands together to gesture the love sign. Many in the audience mimicked him and voiced support, repeating “I love Penang.”
He said he would give more details and make an official announcement on the campaign after the state government discussed the matter further for approval.
“We will tell BN that we love our state. For 1.6 million citizens, we defend the state and not let the Federal Constitution be violated,” Lim said.
The DAP secretary-general also said that taking Penang federal would violate the Constitution that clearly states that Penang is one of the 13 states in the Federation of Malaysia.
“Nobody can change that… I want to tell BN not to dream. No way Penang will agree to that. Pakatan will never agree.
“But maybe Penang BN will agree. If they win the state, they won’t fight the federal government. Then, there will no longer be a Penang state.
“You will all become ‘orang wilayah’ (federal citizens). A federal of what I don’t know,” he said.
“What becomes of the head of state, the Governor? You will have no chief minister, no state excos, no assemblymen and no councillors.
“You will be under a minister you have no right to elect,” he said.
The idea to make Penang a federal territory came from Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor last week in a radio interview. Yesterday, he defended the idea, saying that it was to help Malays in Penang who were sidelined by the opposition-led state.
Lim said to claim that Malays were sidelined in Penang was racist, adding that if BN went by that reason, it should look at states that were poorer than Penang.
“If that is the way to help people, like the poor, then help the poorest states in Malaysia — Sabah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
“It is not that I want to talk big here but compare Penang with the poorer states. Shouldn’t you help them first? he said.
Lim added that a place need not be a federal territory to receive funds from the federal government for development.
Penang, as it was now, still has some federal funds for projects such as the multimillion-ringgit Sungai Pinang flood mitigation project, he said.