The call in 8 March 2008 was for change. The Pakatan Rakyat has ruled Penang since then. Two years later, what has changed? What has the new Penang state government achieved or has it lost its way? Are there obstacles we don’t know about? How has the state government responded to calls from civil society, not least the Penang Forum, for changes in the Penang Agenda? Where are we up to and what can we map out for ourselves and for the state government?
Ch’ng Teng Liang looks at the motive of those who demonstrated against the Penang state governent on 5 February, ostensibly in defence of Malay illegal hawkers.
Martin Jalleh describes how political roguery has run riot in Perak. Umno’s backroom politics engineered a backdoor takeover of the state from under the rakyat’s noses, providing Najib with the perfect background to lead Bolehland into a political backwater.
Aliran
welcomes and appreciates the Penang state government’s extension of
support to the Citizens for Public Transport (Cepat) in their
campaign for an efficient and affordable public transport system in
the state.
Aliran views the Federal government’s latest attempt to resolve Penang’s public transport woes by introducing RapidPenang (an arm of RapidKL) as a plaster job on a lesion that requires surgery.