I attended my first briefing on the Penang Outer Ring Road (Porr) project on Jan 14, 2003, and saw the presentation put up by Penang Chief.Minister Koh Tsu Koon. It was quite entertaining, to say the least. It was over two hours long. He tried hard to justify and defend the project, the reasons (t)he(y) must build it.

I have also made presentations like that, during my days of working as a manager in an American multinational corporation. So, I understand that trick: all the good things and cross your fingers, it'll be bought.

But, like Koh said, I have a story to tell, too.

I do not know many of the good folks at the Porr briefing. My interest with the "no Porr" forum is born out of my concern, as a citizen, for accountability. I feel it is unjust, for lack of a stronger word, to enrich one man, one developer, at a cost to be borne by so many, and to continue to pay him by way of tools for the next 30 years.

My house in Pantai Jerjak is not affected by the construction of the Porr, although in the long run, yes, born and living in Penang, I will be angry and sad every time I turn my head towards the hills of Penang, and see the ring road. It will be worse than the sore thumb sticking right in the middle of Georgetown, because it will be around us, no matter where we are in Georgetown.

But, despite our despair and despise for the building called Komtar, we sometimes have to go there, for one reason or another, and hate it even more, for the un-managed chaos at the bus stop, the rundown staircase, the poorly managed traffic flow around the building. We did not ask for Komtar, and we really do not need it today. Despite the hardship and the sorrow, and the thousands of people affected Komtar was built. So will Porr.

There is no more fight to be picked with the chief minister. He had already said, it was a federal mandate, not the state's. He also said that we can exercise our right and vote him out if we so find him wrong. He's ready to face whatever may come. He's the fall guy. But, he had to see this to the end. His boss already told him to go take care of it. We are barking up the wrong tree if we continue to engage the state government, to try to dissuade them to reconsider the Porr. It is out of their hands.

I once worked for an American boss. When a situation arises, he would tell me to go take care of it (whatever may need taking care of), or he will get someone else who will. Koh was told to take care of it. To ensure the people are placated, that this is for the good of the island. And even if the people, especially the ad hoc committees of the affected residents continue to voice their objections, Porr will be built. The cost is too high.

RM1.02 billion is a lot of money. Many of us cannot imagine how much money that is. If you were to line up RM10, standing up, side-by-side, it would run about 10km long. Can you imagine seeing a line of ten-ringgit notes standing up, almost all the way across the Penang Bridge? And a few select people will get that money. The rich get richer. That's the folly of trusting one political party, where there is no opportunity to voice our dissent.

The chief minister said the project was decided in Kuala Lumpur (or Putrajaya, or whatever Jaya), and as such, the battle is to be fought in KL. Not in Penang, not with the chief minister. Forget Koh Tsu Koon, let's take on the federal government.

Any disagreement?