In a statement via text, he said he had been busy helping flood victims to reconstruct their community damaged by recent floods.
He had also been kept busy with landslides on Penang Hill that struck the funicular train service and that at the Tanjung Bunga construction site incident that killed 11 lives.
He also attended to flood problems in Farlim, Paya Terubong, Kebun Bunga and Sungai Pinang.
As such, he said could not speculate on what certain politicians were attempting to divert people’s attention from.
“Let us all focus on and solve the flood and landslide problems.
“Let us not distract the Penangites from the real issues,” he said.
Cheah was asked to comment on a statement by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that there was strong opposition against Cheah by his constituents in Kebun Bunga.
As a result of these complaints and “poor performance”, Lim told Malaysiakini yesterday that Cheah had been relieved of his flood aid-related duties.
These had been passed on to someone else.
Lim also told the portal that the people of Kebun Bunga were “very dissatisfied” and had directed “four-letter words” at Cheah.
He said the residents’ unhappiness was caught on video during his (Guan Eng) visit to Hong Seng Estate after the floods.
https://www.facebook.com/buletinmutiara/videos/1906569346027173/
Last week, Lim had said he would personally hand out the RM700 one-off state government aid to Cheah’s constituents in Kebun Bunga, with the help of Pulau Tikus assemblywoman Yap Soo Huey.
Lim said the matter was strictly an “internal procedural change” and the decision was made after consultation with state secretary Farizan Darus.
Lim said he would reveal all to the press after Dec 2, which was the due date for those applying for the RM700 flood relief aid.
In a statement after the announcement, Penang PKR chief Mansor Othman said the explanation given was “naive and hard to accept” and akin to sidestepping PKR’s role in the state government.
Guan Eng confirms PKR assemblyman barred from giving out flood aid