BY HIMANSHU BHATT AND BERNARD CHEAH | The Sun
20 July 2010

GEORGE TOWN: Simmering tensions boiled over yesterday when Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the federal-appointed State Development Officer (SDO), who oversees the channelling of all federal allocations for projects in Penang, traded verbal blows at separate press conferences.

Lim accused Nik Ali Mat Yunus (pic) of “openly and blatantly” sabotaging the state government, while the latter, in an outburst uncharacteristic of a civil servant, called Lim biadap (uncivilised) and said he had no right to question his qualification and competency for the job.

“He (Nik Ali) is like a little Napoleon in the civil service who gets high pay and does nothing for the people, but instead causes losses to them,” Lim said during a visit to the Botanic Gardens. He asked who should be held responsible for the RM150,000 plus losses over the scheduled demolition of controversial twin arches, one of which is tilting, that were built only recently for the gardens’ expansion project by the Tourism Ministry.

He said Nik Ali, as the officer in charge of overseeing project, should be held responsible. “Nik Ali refuses to explain who will bear the losses. If he is willing, we will not pursue the matter. But if not, who is? Every sen counts, because it is a question of public trust,” Lim said.

He also took issue over a letter sent by the SDO’s office, dated Oct 13, 2009, to the state Drainage and Irrigation Department. In it, the SDO’s office gave an “ultimatum” for pending issues on the Botanic Gardens’ facade and pavilion development to be settled by Oct 31, 2009, failing which a RM5 million federal funding for the project would be withdrawn. (The state was at that point tackling eviction problems in the area).

Lim said that was an example of how the SDO’s office tried to rush through development projects without consultation and feedback. Nik Ali lost his cool after a press conference held by state Umno leaders on alleged sand theft at a federal land in Politeknik Balik Pulau. He denied any involvement in the design of the Botanic Gardens arches or in allowing the allegedly illegal sand mining, which was brought to light over the weekend, to occur.

“This is the third time that Lim has used rough words against me after the Penang Hill railway launch where he alleged that I did not prepare a seat for him and then the issue of the twin arches’ demolition,” he said in a statement.

“Only the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department can say if I am incompetent or not.”

Nik Ali accused Lim of attacking him knowing that as a civil servant he was not allowed to issue press statements. “I will continue to be considered a ‘coward’ for remaining silent and eventually become a ‘scapegoat’ for Lim,” he said.

Nik Ali also took the state secretary to task for not advising Lim on the SDO’s scope and responsibilities as directed by the federal government, and help forge closer state and federal ties. “He should prepare talks with the SDO and not allow Lim to twist facts and continue to attack the SDO,” he said.