By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim kit Siang, in Penang on Monday,3rd January , 1994:
DAP advises Tsu KOON to show political courage and responsibility as Penang Chief Minister by exercising authority over the MPPP President and disregard the fact that Tam Gim Hwa is the Penang Gerakan Chairman.
DAP advises Tsu KOON to show political courage and responsibility as Penang Chief Minister by exercising authority over the MPPP President and disregard the fact that Tam Gim Hwa is the Penang Gerakan Chairman.
The week-long silence of the MPPP and in particulary the MPPP President , Tan Gim Hwa, over the outrageous and scandalous removal of Hotel Metropole from the MPPP list of 20 conservation building at Jalan Sultan Ahamd Shah and their conscience in its swift demolition mot only reflect a guilty conscience but also a contempt for public opinion and the democratic principles of accountability and transparency.
Tan Gim Hwa’ s MPPP disallows the people to light lamps and only permits the authority to start fires
The whole Hotel Metropole episode stinks as a MPPP scandal from the high-handed manner in which Hotel Metropole was surreptiously removed from the four-year MPPP list of 20 conservation buildings for Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (of Millionaires’ Row) and the manner of its swift demolition.
It cannot escape public notice that the demolition was carefully timed for the Christmas asn end-of-the year period so as to attract minimum public attention and carried at unusual speed to ensure that Hotel Metropole had already been demolished before there could be public objection and protest;
The MPPP, under Tan Gim Hwa, has adopted an approach which disallow the people to light lamps but only permits the authority to start fires – and such double standards must be immediately stopped and checked by the Penang Chief Minister and State Exco which must accept final responsibility for the abuses of power and malpractices in the MPPP.
The MPPP and the State government and in particular the Chief Minister,Dr. Koh Tsu Koon , cannot continue to pretend that Hotel Metropole is stilling standing at NO.46 , Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, or ignore the assorciation of top Gerakan leaders with Hotel Metropole , which had the nickname of Hotel Gerakan.
When and which heritage building at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah in the MPPP’s list of 20 conservation buildings would become the second to be demolished after Hotel Metropole?
What Tan Gim Hwa had done is nothing short of a ‘ crime’ against conservation and heritage building in Penang.
When and which heritage building at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah in the MPPP’s list of 20 conservation buildings drawn up in 1989 would be the second to be demolished after Hotel Metropole – in order to give some justification for the demolition of ‘ Hotel Gerakan’?
The decision in surreptitiously and under-handedly removing Hotel Metropole from the MPPP conservation list and to connive in its swift demolition without public notice or consultation is inexcusable and unforgivable, and it is for this reason that T had called on Dr. Koh Tsu Koon to immediately suspend Tan Gim Hwa as MPPP President.
Futhermore, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon should suspend the reappointment of incumbent MPPP councillors who had been a party to the Hotel Metropole scandal for the new year of 1994 – until there is a full public inquiry.
If Dr. Koh Tsu Koon cannot impose his authority and control over the MPPP President and councillors, then his credibility as Penang Chief Minister will sink to an all-time low!