Lim Guan Eng urges Penang govt to freeze tax hikes, scrutinise major projects

GEORGE TOWN, Nov 2 — DAP’s Air Putih assemblyman Lim Guan Eng has urged the Penang government to defer increases in land tax, water tariffs and other fees until the end of its term, saying the state’s improved financial position should allow it to avoid placing further pressure on residents and businesses.

Debating the 2027 Supply Bill and Development Estimates in the Penang State Legislative Assembly today, Lim said he supported the RM1.074 billion state budget, noting that the Consolidated Revenue Account balance had increased from RM522.87 million at the end of 2025 to RM651.28 million as at October 30 this year, while Penang’s gross domestic product grew 7.3 per cent to RM130.3 billion in 2025, compared with national growth of 5.2 per cent.

He said the budget’s theme, “Bringing the Vision Closer to the People and Forging a Legacy”, should translate into tangible benefits that would make life easier for the public, adding that the state should not risk losing public support by prioritising its legacy over people’s needs.

Lim also welcomed the appointment of new state secretary Datuk Dr Jafri Abdul Jalil, effective August 3, 2026, and thanked his predecessor Datuk Seri Zulkifli Long for his service.

Lim said ordinary people and micro, small and medium enterprises were facing challenging economic conditions and should not have to contend with higher taxes and compliance costs, pointing to land tax collections rising from RM116 million in both 2024 and 2025 to RM165 million as at September this year, an increase of RM49 million in nine months despite the payment deadline being extended to the end of 2026; he also cited national GDP growth of six per cent in the second quarter of 2026 and a 13.5 per cent increase in the banking sector’s pre-tax profits, from RM48.3 billion in 2024 to RM54.8 billion in 2025.

He also called on the state government to provide the remaining RM500,000 for road widening and safety improvements at Pintas Berani 5 near SJK(C) Kwang Hwa in Bagan Jermal, saying the RM1 million approved by Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming would widen the road from one lane to two and that the additional allocation was needed to improve safety for the school’s 1,118 pupils, teachers and other road users; he said the state only needed to contribute half the project’s remaining cost and that the funds had already been channelled to the Seberang Perai City Council.

On water supply, Lim urged the state government to table its bulk water supply agreement with Perak’s Prasarana Air dan Irigasi Perak Sdn Bhd in the state assembly for debate and approval, saying the 40-year arrangement from 2032 carried an estimated cost of RM24.6 billion up to 2072, comprising RM8.4 billion in infrastructure capacity charges and RM16.2 billion in water supply charges; he said the agreement should be made public and that the state should seek Perak’s consent to disclose its terms even if a non-disclosure agreement was in place, as Penang residents would ultimately bear the cost.

Lim also proposed an independent state commission of inquiry into the October 25 slope collapse at Taman Seri Rambai, Paya Terubong, which killed 73-year-old doctor Wong Kar Lin and led to the immediate evacuation of six nearby homes, saying those responsible should be held accountable; he disputed claims that the project had been approved during his tenure as chief minister from 2008 to 2018, stating that planning permission was granted in 2023 and earthworks and building plans in 2024, when he was no longer chief minister or finance minister, and said the allegations had been circulated on eight websites and referred to his lawyer for legal action.

Turning to the proposed 70-acre reclamation project off Persiaran Karpal Singh, estimated to cost RM1 billion, and the agreement to rehabilitate the 84-acre Jelutong landfill, Lim questioned why the agreement had not been cancelled after the contractor’s applications were rejected five times by the Department of Environment, despite an October 18 deadline set by the chief minister; he also asked why extensions had been granted for more than six years since the agreement was signed on February 21, 2020, how much the contractor still owed the Penang Development Corporation and state government, and why the reclamation project was proceeding without a signed agreement.

Citing the Auditor-General’s Report 2026, Lim criticised the Penang Development Corporation’s handling of the Jalan Perusahaan-Jalan Tok Kangar road and bridge upgrading project, saying the combined cost of RM63.4 million for its two phases — RM10.6 million for Phase 1 and RM52.8 million for Phase 2 — was RM20.4 million, or 47 per cent, above the original RM43 million estimate; he said the audit found that Phase 2 had taken more than seven years after its open tender was awarded on July 12, 2019, that delays reached 2,278 days and that RM3.12 million in progress payments had been made to a replacement contractor before a formal contract was signed, while PDC had still received a six-month bonus for 2024, paid in February 2025.

He also questioned PDC’s ability to undertake the proposed 1,142-acre Batu Kawan Industrial Park 2 development, of which 872 acres would be available for investors, asking whether the project should instead be opened to private-sector participation; Lim cited the sale of 559 acres of PDC land at Byram, Batu Kawan, for RM646 million through a direct deal without an open tender, compared with a subsequent open request for proposal offering RM818 million, or RM172 million more, and argued that a private-sector partnership could bring in funds sooner and accelerate development.

On economic prospects, Lim said Penang and Malaysia had benefited from geopolitical and economic tensions between the United States and China, as well as the impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with foreign investment and exports reaching record levels, particularly in electronics; he welcomed the federal government’s RM100 million allocation approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the Penang Technology Financial Centre, which he said could build on the state’s technological strengths in digital development, artificial intelligence and new forms of trade.

However, Lim said economic growth was uneven and some sectors continued to face difficulties, calling for a separate Special Financial Zone to attract foreign funds and activities involving cryptocurrency, fintech and digital finance, which he said fell outside the Penang Technology Financial Centre’s focus on technology, start-ups and AI; he proposed a 40-hectare site at Ampang Jajar between the Bagan and Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituencies, near public transport links including the planned LRT station at Penang Sentral, expected to be completed in 2032, saying this would help balance development between Penang island and Seberang Perai.

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乔治市，11月2日讯——民主行动党亚依布地州议员林冠英敦促槟城州政府将土地税、水费和其他费用的上涨推迟到本届任期结束，称该州财政状况的改善应该使其能够避免给居民和企业带来进一步的压力。

林冠英今天在槟城州立法议会辩论2027年财政拨款法案和发展预算时表示，他支持10.74亿令吉的州预算，并指出综合收入账户余额已从2025年底的5.2287亿令吉增至今年10月30日的6.5128亿令吉，而槟城2025年的国内生产总值增长了7.3%，达到1303亿令吉，而全国的增长率为5.2%。

他表示，预算的主题“让愿景更贴近人民，铸就传承”应该转化为切实的好处，让公众的生活更加轻松。他还补充说，国家不应该为了维护自身传承而忽视人民的需求，从而冒着失去公众支持的风险。

林冠英也对新任州秘书拿督贾夫里·阿卜杜勒·贾利勒博士的任命表示欢迎，该任命将于2026年8月3日生效，并感谢他的前任拿督斯里祖基菲里·龙的服务。

林冠英表示，普通民众和微型、小型及中型企业正面临严峻的经济形势，不应承受更高的税收和合规成本。他指出，尽管缴税期限已延长至2026年底，但土地税收入仍从2024年和2025年的1.16亿令吉增至今年9月的1.65亿令吉，短短九个月内增加了4900万令吉。他还提到，2026年第二季度国民生产总值将增长6%，银行业税前利润将增长13.5%，从2024年的483亿令吉增至2025年的548亿令吉。

他还呼吁州政府提供剩余的50万令吉，用于拓宽位于峇眼杰玛光华小学附近的Pintas Berani 5路段，并改善道路安全。他表示，地方政府部长倪可敏批准的100万令吉拨款将把这条路从单车道拓宽为双车道，而额外的拨款是为了改善该校1118名学生、教师和其他道路使用者的安全；他还表示，州政府只需承担该项目剩余费用的一半，这笔资金已经拨付给了威省市政厅。

关于供水问题，林冠英敦促州政府将与霹雳州Prasarana Air dan Irigasi Perak Sdn Bhd公司签订的供水协议提交州议会进行辩论和批准。他表示，这项从2032年到2072年为期40年的协议预计耗资246亿令吉，其中包括84亿令吉的基础设施容量费和162亿令吉的供水费。他指出，该协议应该公开，即使存在保密协议，州政府也应该征得霹雳州的同意才能披露协议条款，因为最终承担这些费用的将是槟城居民。

林冠英还提议成立一个独立的州级调查委员会，调查10月25日发生在巴耶特鲁邦斯里兰拜花园的山坡坍塌事故。该事故导致73岁的医生黄嘉琳丧生，并导致附近六户居民紧急疏散。林冠英表示，应追究相关责任人的责任；他还否认了该项目在他2008年至2018年担任首席部长期间获得批准的说法，指出规划许可是在2023年获得的，土方工程和建筑计划是在2024年获得的，而那时他已不再担任首席部长或财政部长。林冠英表示，这些指控已在八个网站上流传，他已将此事提交给律师采取法律行动。

林冠英就拟建的位于卡巴星路（Persiaran Karpal Singh）附近、占地70英亩的填海工程（预计耗资10亿令吉）以及修复占地84英亩的日落洞（Jelutong）垃圾填埋场的协议提出质疑。他质问，尽管首席部长设定了10月18日的最后期限，但承包商的申请已被环境部驳回五次，为何该协议仍未被取消；他还质问，自2020年2月21日签署该协议以来，为何延期已超过六年，承包商还欠槟城发展机构和州政府多少钱，以及为何填海工程在没有签署协议的情况下仍在进行。

林冠英援引2026年审计长报告，批评槟城发展机构（PDC）对Jalan Perusahaan-Jalan Tok Kangar道路和桥梁升级项目的处理方式。他指出，该项目分两期进行，总成本为6340万令吉（第一期1060万令吉，第二期5280万令吉），比最初4300万令吉的预算高出2040万令吉，增幅达47%。他表示，审计发现，第二期工程自2019年7月12日公开招标以来，耗时超过七年，延误天数达2278天，并且在正式合同签署前，已向替代承包商支付了312万令吉的进度款，而PDC仍在2025年2月收到了2024年六个月的奖金。

他还质疑PDC是否有能力开发拟建的占地1142英亩的峇都加湾工业园二期项目，其中872英亩将提供给投资者。他询问该项目是否应该向私营部门开放参与；林冠英指出，PDC在峇都加湾拜拉姆的559英亩土地是通过直接交易以6.46亿令吉的价格出售的，而没有进行公开招标，相比之下，随后的公开招标报价为8.18亿令吉，比直接交易高出1.72亿令吉。他认为，私营部门的合作可以更快地带来资金，加快开发进程。

关于经济前景，林冠英表示，槟城和马来西亚受益于中美之间的地缘政治和经济紧张局势，以及美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的关税政策的影响，外国投资和出口均达到创纪录水平，尤其是在电子产品领域；他欢迎联邦政府批准首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣拨款1亿令吉用于槟城科技金融中心，他表示，该中心可以充分利用槟城在数字发展、人工智能和新型贸易方面的技术优势。

然而，林冠英表示经济增长不平衡，一些行业仍然面临困难，他呼吁设立一个独立的金融特区，以吸引外国资金和涉及加密货币、金融科技和数字金融的活动。他表示，这些活动超出了槟城科技金融中心专注于科技、初创企业和人工智能的范畴。他提议在峇眼和峇东埔国会选区之间的安邦惹惹（Ampang Jajar）设立一个占地40公顷的金融特区，该地靠近包括计划于2032年完工的槟城中央轻轨站在内的公共交通枢纽。他表示，这将有助于平衡槟城岛和威省之间的发展。

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