Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has today described the attack by Umno leaders on the ‘My Balik Pulau’ promotion booklet as akin to “spitting at the sky”.

He was responding to Umno’s Pulau Betong assemblyperson Muhammad Farid Saad and Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia , who accused the booklet of “twisting history and insulting the Malays”.

“The Umno assemblyperson is spitting at the sky. The truth is that the those behind the publication ‘My Balik Pulau’ are from Umno and the federal government, which means that it is they who have forgotten history and are insulting the Malays,” Lim said.

Utusan , in a half-page article on Feb 2, quoted Muhammad Farid as saying that ‘My Balik Pulau’ was meant to show that it was not the Malays who had first inhabited the district in southwest Penang island.

NONE Muhammad Farid was also quoted as saying that the state government had been distributing the booklet to schools in Penang.

He went on to say this was an attempt by 'certain quarters' to question the historical facts of  Balik Pulau, which is populated largely by Malays.

According to Utusan , the colourful 12-page booklet was published by the Penang Arts Education Society, an advisory council appointed by the state, the Tourism Ministry and telecommunications company DiGi.

Lim said it was unreasonable of Muhammad Farid to accuse the Penang government of maligning Balik Pulau Malays in the booklet.

He said that the publication clearly states that the contributors to the booklet were Tourism Ministry and Umno leaders of Balik Pulau, including Muhammad Farid himself.

“However, the Umno machinery as well as blogs of the party’s members were falsely attacking the Pakatan government for marginalising the Malays,” lamented Lim.

Penang gov’t will not keep silence

The state government, Lim added, will not keep silent on being blamed for the wrongdoings of others, especially that of Umno.

“Muhammad Farid must therefore withdraw his allegation and issue an open apology for defaming the Pakatan state government.”

If he does not do so by the coming week, the chief minister warned that firm action will be taken against the Pulau Betong assemblyperson.

 

NONE Lim said other than exposing his racist streak, Muhammad Farid had also hinted that he did not need non-Malays votes in Balik Pulau.

“This racial game of the assemblyperson, who wished to create tension and destroy the harmony among the races in Penang, will be raised in the Penang state assembly meeting.”

Lim said racism and the politics of hatred are being pursued by Umno and the BN to cover up their corruption and scandals.

This included the exposure of the RM30 million Pulau Jerejak scandal under former chief minister Koh Tsu Koon, who has practically handed the island over to the Urban Development Authority.