GEORGE TOWN: The animosity between Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and his predecessor, Lim Guan Eng, will grow to the extent of harming and injuring the future potential of Penang, their former deputy, Dr P. Ramasamy said.
Ramasamy said while Chow and Lim "are not the best of friends on earth", surely in the larger interests of Penang, they should be able to sit together to think intelligently and wisely for Penang's future.
He said in the absence of a healthy distraction, the animosity between the two would grow to the extent of harming and injuring the state's potentials.
"As the former deputy chief minister II, I feel sorry for the Penangites who have placed trust in the Pakatan Harapan/DAP leadership.
"The continuing feud is something that will work to the advantage of Perikatan Nasional to take over Penang in the next general elections.
"A non-competitive Penang economy helmed by non-imaginative leaders is the biggest danger for the future of Penang," he said today.
Chow's predecessor had urged him to explain how the state had lost a multi-million ringgit integrated circuit (IC) design project to Selangor.
Elaborating, Ramasamy said Penang might lose its competitive edge due to unimaginative leadership.
"Is it a surprise that Penang lost the IC design project to Selangor? As a result of this loss, more companies have shown interest in investing in Selangor rather than Penang.
"Although the state government takes great pride in calling itself as the 'Silicon Valley of the East', high-tech investments are actually moving to other states like Selangor," he added.
IC design is the process of manufacturing microchips to be used in smartphones and other electronics devices.
The development of the IC park is in tandem with the focus of the federal government to move industries, especially electronics, from low- to high-value production.
Two big companies, ARM Limited and Phison Malaysia, are keen to invest in the Selangor IC design park.
Ramasamy said these companies should have been attracted to Penang in the first place.
Ramasamy said Chow administered the state on the basis of consultations and consensus.
He said civil servants liked him because he was not a controversial figure.
At a press conference later, Chow said he would meet representatives from the two companies concerned tomorrow.
"They will be making some investments here. We have been talking to them."