Of Lim GE and Nik Ali : The left and the right hand of Penang who does not what the other is doing...

1. Whoa! Lim Guan Eng needs to learn a thing or two about being diplomatically polite!
2. First, Lim Guan Eng should realised by now that SDO (State Development Officer) is not a punching bag. With punching bags, you can box or kick your way through and it will never hit you back. Things are different when you deal with another human and unfortunately that human is Nik Ali Mat Yunus.
3. Lim Guan Eng is the Chief Minister of Penang. No one can doubt. The same with Nik Ali. He is Penang State Development Officer (SDO) and no one can doubt that either. Both have their own responsibilities and in this case Nik Ali's task is to monitor and ensure federal development projects are implemented effectively.
4. Lim Guan Eng may have gone too far when he remarked that Nik Ali is "incompetent, useless, unprofessional, coward and should be sacked". Who is Lim Guan Eng to act as jury, judge and executioner? Nik Ali has a duty to do and that duty is to ensure smooth implementation of federal development projects. He is bounded by the need to report to Lim Guan Eng if called for and Lim Guan Eng has the option to pull Nik Ali aside to voice his concern if Nik Ali's performance is below his expectations.. That can be done in private within the four walls of the CM's office. Lim Guan Eng breached the state-federal relationship with his outburst!

   In dispensing his job, Nik Ali has to work with both the federal government and the state government. He has his limitations and he has limited staff. He cannot be everywhere at the same time, not like Lim GE who has the state machinery to carry out their duties. Lim Guan Eng has to acknowledge this and one of the solution is to engage a state liason officer to liase with Nik Ali on matters pertaining to the interest of both parties. Is it that hard to do?
   

5. It is not easy to be a CM from PR. Just ask Nik Aziz about that and learnt how he handled the situation in his 20+ years running Kelantan state.
6. Nik Ali is wrong too. He may be too depressed with Lim Guan Eng's statement but he should not have "exploded" and worst still, he replied to Lim Guan Eng's statement in an UMNO-held press conference! Why is he there in the first place? Is he there in his capacity as an UMNO member or is he there in his capacity as SDO? If he is there as an UMNO member, then he should not have mixed his political affiliation with his job. If he is there as Penang's SDO, who authorise him to be in a political party's PC? Will it not be better for him to stay neutral and not be caught in the entangled web of bipartisan politics?
   
7. KSN's satement on the issue should be taken positively. As Nik Ali's boss, KSN Sidek needs to publicly protects his subordinate. What he said behind the curtains is between KSN Sidek and Nik Ali. KSN Sidek is correct when he implied that Lim Guan Eng can raise his grouses though relevant channels, one of them by meeting KSN in person. Did Lim Guan Eng tried that? I sincerely doubt it!

   Malaysian Insider posted Lim GE's side of the story that he had make an appointment to meet KSN Sidek but it was cancelled at the last minute. Lim GE can always set a new appointment. It will be different if KSN Sidek or PSD totally ignored Lim GE's request for a meeting then maybe, Lim GE has every reasons to be unhappy with the treatment given.
   

8. DAP's statement to back Lim Guan Eng will backfires. DAP should take a leaf on how Hadi Awang and PAS stumbled in Terenganu when BN wrested the state back in 2004! All because Hadi and company failed to be at ease and in peace with government officials.
9. This is where PR fails! PR knows how to condemn others and thinks it is a one way street when they run the states. It is not! This is where PR must learn the ropes of balancing and walking on fine lines to get things done with SDO's support and co-operation!
10. Malaysia Instinct painted Lim Guan Eng as a racist. This person will not go that far because Lim Guan Eng has not uttered anything towards that ... yet. UMNO is banking on this issue to put Lim Guan Eng down and Lim Guan Eng needs to repair the damage soon. Be certain that BN will exploit this issue to the fullest in GE 13. A good start is for both Lim Guan Eng and Nik Ali is to sit down and talk over their differences.
11. Cool heads must prevail. This is not the time for ego bashing! This is the time to find the common denominator. Something where both parties will be in a win-win situation.
12. Nik Ali accepted his posting as Penang's SDO. He knows that it is going to be tough but someone has to do the job. He is not there to inhibit development. He is there to implement development. He too has his target and budget to work from.
13. Lim Guan Eng becomes the CM because he wanted to serve Penangites. He knows that BN will try hard to belittle PR. He is there to prove that PR is a better alternative than BN. He is there to serve the people. He is there to serve all regardless of race, religion and creed. He has his targets and he has limitations.
14. Both wanted to succeed in their works. So why not they both sit down and planned for the best of Penang?
15. Bashing each other will be to nobody's advantage. In the end "Yang menang jadi arang, yang kalah jadi abu". Do you think UMNO will come to Nik Ali's rescue if it is not to their advantage?
16. Lim Guan Eng and Nik Ali are just like the right and left hand of Penang. Individually, they could not do much but together, they can do wonders for Penang ie can work for the benefit of Penangites. The thing is - in present situation they do not know and understand what the other is doing thus all the misinformation and misconception going around fuelled by suspicioun, courtesy of BN.
17. It is time for both of them to put a stop to this ongoing saga. Time to think on how to improve the state-federal relationship. In doing that, both must be ready to swallow some pride and let off the steam massing in their heads. Better still, they should not be playing to the gallery who are waging both of them going on belittling each other.
    
18. For now, let them both goes through a cooling off period. You don't enter negotiation with pre-conceived ideas and pre-set mind. If Komtar is too hot for both of them, why not try Pulau Jerejak? They say it's quiet there... and if they need a mediator, this person is willing.
    

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...