You get your summonses waived and you are crying foul?

It is really strange that there are actually people who are dead against the Penang CM's decision to cancel all summonses related to illegal hawking and parking offences issued before March 11.

What's it to them anyway?

One of them is former councillor Dr Goh Ban Lee who seemed to think it is illegal and wrong and against good governance. Blah.Blah. Blah.

Err, hello?? Relieving the people's burden is wrong and illegal? Sure, it may not be such a huge sum for some but for the hawkers, it could mean saving a few hundred ringgits which they could put to good use, like getting new plates or more environmentally-friendly packaging or new school books for their kids or new school uniforms.

What is so wrong with that? Oh, ya, right.

There was no provision in the Local Government Act for the chief minister to waive local council summonses.

The former councillor, who seemed to think he is a law-abiding, upright, exemplary and perfect citizen, accused the CM and the Perak MB of misusing their powers to interfere in the workings of local councils.

Excuse me Dr Goh, what is your problem anyway? Are you just sore that the Opposition parties took over the Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kedah state governments? Aren't you just grasping at any fault you can find to make them look like incompetent, unlawful leaders?

Sure, there was no provision in the Act but that does not make it unlawful. This in itself is a big huge loophole for the Penang CM or Perak MB to waive summonses if they deem it fit. Besides, do bear in mind that he said it is only summonses issued before March 11. Not all summonses forever.

The Penang CM's intention was good and not meant to harm or victimise anyone. So, why this Goh fella insists on making seem as if the CM had killed his firstborn and he (Goh) is out for vengeance?

Hmm...perhaps he had just only settled all his summonses right before the CM made his announcement. That must have frustrated him no end to spur him to tell all and sundry (The Star, The Sun, NST) that it is an illegal move! ;-)

Whatever his and his few supporters' reasons (shocking it may seem, there are quite a few people who agreed with him), I am certain I can safely vouch for the general public in Penang that they have no complaints about the waiver at all.