WHEN public debate on inter-religious goodwill in Penang finally started last week, its ferocity surprised many. Utusan Malaysia front-paged a story “DAP hina Islam?” (read here) and CM Lim Guan Eng reacted with a threat to sue the paper and Penang Islamic Council President Shabudin Yahaya (read here). It also brought out PAS to campaign in favour of having the proposed inter-faith communications (read here).

Joining the fray, two media groups, theSun and The Malaysian Insider, editorialised on the matter, with one commending the state for setting up the goodwill council (read here) and the other warning about playing the religious card in Malaysian politics (read here).

Meanwhile, as the March 8 anniversary of the pivotal 2008 elections approaches, there are moves and countermoves in two other areas:

Poverty eradication: When it was reported that the state’s poverty eradication targets remained unfulfilled (read here), a series of reactions followed, among them:

• State Umno liaison secretary Azhar Ibrahim alleged it was due to poor planning (read here)
• State Health, Welfare and Caring Society Executive Councillor Phee Boon Poh alleged sabotage (read here) and this was refuted by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Ng Yen Yen (read here)
• The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development said it is willing to take over the role of eradicating hardcore poverty in Penang (read here)

Indians in Penang: This issue, debated mainly between MIC chief Samy Vellu and Deputy CM II Ramasamy, revolves around how much the latter and the state government have done for the Indians in Penang. Read here and here. A public debate has been called for by Ramasamy.

Among the other issues, debates and developments were:

HERITAGE, CULTURE & TOURISM

St George’s Church: St George’s Church in Lebuh Farquhar is to be restored (read here). The last major restoration was in 1961.
500 ancient trees: Only 500 of the thousands of trees planted in Penang by the British are still standing (read here)
Pleas from Teluk Bahang and Batu Ferringhi: Two groups in Teluk Bahang pleaded for the Penang Hill cable car project to be linked there (read here) while businesses in Batu Feringghi are asking to be heard regarding the state’s attempt to remove illegal structures there (read here).

ECONOMY

Touchy over unemployment: Loss of jobs became a touchy subject in Penang again after inaccurate reporting of figures by a Chinese daily (read here) and InvestPenang has come out to assure that jobs will still be created because investments will be rolled out in the next few years (read here).

Meanwhile, unemployment is expected to hit the country hard soon, judging from various statements by national and state leaders. Here are samples from the last few days alone: "Global recession will bite hard" (read here), "Foreign workers first out" (read here), "Retrench as last resort" (read here) and "Loan priority for retrenched" (read here).

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