Student group Challenger believes that it is within the interest of justice and accountability for Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to temporarily step down while he stands trial.

Stepping down while the trial commences is not an admission of guilt, but a noble practice which is a matter of principle.

When embroiled in a scandal, Nazir Razak, the CIMB Group chairperson decided to take leave of absence pending the bank review report and a complete independent internal audit. This step was taken despite the absence of any criminal prosecution.

CM Lim Guang Eng should follow suit to clear his name.

This is particularly important given DAP’s hard-line stance on competency, accountability and transparency (CAT) principles.

Any public figure who faces trial should step down as a matter of principal. This is to ensure that the person’s position of influence will not be used to alter the outcome of justice. For example, a public figure could use his/her influence to bury evidence, intimidate witnesses, cut deals based on his influence, etc.

This however does not mean that Lim Guan Eng will resort to such measures, instead it is a matter of principle which is blind to the character of the person.

Furthermore, the trial will distract him from his executive duties as the chief minister of Penang. It is therefore advisable & noble that he temporarily steps down for the interest of the state and justice.

(Example: The case of Sabah former chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan from PBS who was bogged down with three cases of corruption which consumed a substantial portion of his time and led to a trust deficit.)

Finally, as a matter of principle, the chief minister should set a good precedence for the future generation. Stepping down shouldn’t be seen as a liability, instead it should be seen as a noble act which pedestalises the interest of society over one’s individual pursuits.

This is especially important for DAP as they’ve called for a myriad of parties to step down before while investigation is ongoing/trial taking place/as a matter of principle.

Even calls have been made to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to step down over the 1MDB scandal.

It is important to note that the call to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to step down in no way implies that he is guilty, but it is on a matter of principle. If he is genuinely innocent, let justice take its own course.

CM Lim Guan Eng should set a good example for the future leaders of Malaysia.

SYED SADDIQ SYED ABDUL RAHMAN is founder and spokesperson of the youth NGO Challenger.