© Provided by Free Malaysia Today Former PM Najib Razak says former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng had misled Penangites for…

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Najib Razak has demanded that Lim Guan Eng apologise for allegedly misleading Penangites on the restructuring of the state’s water assets.

In a Facebook post, Najib commented on Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow’s wish yesterday for Putrajaya to continue the expansion of the Mengkuang dam as agreed as it was crucial to increase raw water production capacity.

Najib said the dam expansion is funded by a RM1.2 billion federal grant given by his administration as part of the restructuring of Penang’s water assets in 2011.

The restructuring also saw the state’s RM655.2 million debt converted into a 45-year lease payment.

Najib said if Chow wants the federal government to continue with the dam expansion project, Lim, the former Penang chief minister, should first apologise for allegedly using the restructuring issue as political propaganda.

Najib claimed Lim used the restructuring as proof of DAP’s ability to manage its economy by reducing the state’s debts by 95%.

“That reduction of debt had nothing to do with the DAP-led government’s management but came about after the Barisan Nasional government agreed to give a free grant for the Mengkuang dam worth RM1.2 billion and converting the state’s debt into annual instalments so that it is no longer technically classified as debt, although it needs to be paid.”

Najib said had he not agreed to this restructuring then, Penang’s debts would have increased by over 130% and not reduced by 95%.

“So don’t continue with the Mengkuang dam project as long as DAP or Lim do not admit and apologise for misleading Penangites for years with fairy tales of reducing the state’s debts by 95% because of DAP’s so-called ability to manage the state’s economy.

“Is it so hard for him to admit this and release a statement?”

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