By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim kit Siang, in Penang on Sunday,2nd January , 1994:
DAP calls on Penang Chief Minister to suspend Tan Cim Hwa as MPPP President for his scandalous role in removing Hotel Metropole from the MPPP list of 20 conservation buildings at millionaires’ Row and for conniving in its switt demolition.
DAP calls on Penang Chief Minister to suspend Tan Cim Hwa as MPPP President for his scandalous role in removing Hotel Metropole from the MPPP list of 20 conservation buildings at millionaires’ Row and for conniving in its swift demolition.
Tan Gim Hwa should be suspended as MPPP President for the outrageous and scandals manner in which Hotel Motropole was surreptitiously removed from the MPPP list of 20 conservation buildings and the swift demolition of Hotel Metropole for the following six reasons:
Firstlt, Tan Gim Hwa had acted in a most high-handed manner in arbitrarily removing Hotel Metropole from the MPPP list of 20 conservation buildings at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah which was decided by the MPPP four years ago on Ocober 19, 1989 when it included Hotel Metropole is the conservation list of buildings for Jalan Sultan Ahmand Shah;
Secondly, Tan Gim hwa is not fit to be MPPP President when he could act so undemocratically in completely disregarding the principles of accountability, transparency and responsibility in surreptiously removing Hotel Metropole from the MPPP list of conservation buildings without any public notice, warning or consultation;
Thirdly, Tan Gim Hwa’s disregard of the conservation principles laid down in the Pennag Island Structutal Plan , which defined conservation as ‘ the process of looking after a place so as to retain its historic, aesthetic and social value for past, present or future generations’;
Fourthly, Tan Gim Hwa has made a mockery at the new State Government policy to encourage heritage development and conservation of historical buildings with economic potential which was announced by the Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, only in October 1993;
Fifithly, the bad example set by Tam Gim Hwa, who is Penang Gerakan Chairman, showing that Gerakan leaders are the greatest threat to the promotion of cultural tourism, heritage development and conservation of historical buildings in Penang and
Sixthly , Tan Gim Hwa’s connivance in the swift demolition of Hotel Metropole before there could be any public protest and objections, which is all the more reprehensible considering the history of the involvement of Gerakan leaders including Tan Gim Hwa, in the ownership of Hotel Metropole.
DAP calls for public inquiry into the scandalous and undemocratic removal of Hotel Metropole from the MPPP conservation list and its swift demolition.
DAP calls on the State Government to establish a public inquiry into the scandalous and undemocratic removal of Hotel Metropole feom the MPPP conservation list and its swift demolition – to examine in particular the polr of Tan Gim Hwa , the Gerakan MPPP councilors and the Gerakan leaders in this scandal.
The Hotel Metropolr scandal should be an eye-opener not only to the Penang Chief Minister but to all Penangites of the abuses of power, undemocratic and unaccountable actions that result from a nominated system of local government.
This is itself a gross abuse of power for in such a system of nominated local government, MPPP councilors own no loyalty or responsibility to the rateplayers, but are only responsinility to the MPPP President and their respective parties.
The penang Chief Minister and the State Exco should make use of the Hotel Metropole scandal not only to suspend Tan Gim Hwa as MPPP President but to review the whole question of nomination of MPPP councilors.