Since DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng took the helm as chief minister of Penang, his popularity has steadily grown to rock star status.

When appearing in public, supporters would often swarm around Lim for his autograph and his huge following has led political opponents to label him as a ‘tokong’ (deity).

This term was not the creation of his political foes, but coined by PKR’s former Penang deputy chief minister Mansor Othman, during a private meeting at which he expressed some disagreements with Lim.

The content of the meeting that was held in 2012 was leaked, and the label 'tokong' has stuck on Lim ever since.

Lim, in a Mandarin talk show on KiniTV recently, said he considered the label a personal attack that deflects from the real issues.

Politicians, he said, were not infallible and therefore cannot be venerated as ‘tokong’.

"We stress that no leader is a deity. Do not mythologise any leader because deities do not make mistakes, but we do.

"Even when I have done wrong, I have publicly apologised," he said.

'I’m open to criticism'

Lim also denied he was not receptive to criticism, such as his handling of the state government's purchase of a new official vehicle for him.

"I am prepared to listen and to be criticised... but when people insinuate you are corrupt, then that is very unfair. We are not corrupt, period," he said.

Lim, who has won several defamation suits against media organisations, said he only took action against those that failed to give him the right of reply despite he being accused of wrongdoing.

He gave the example of the Chinese press, which he had never sued as they gave him the opportunity to respond to allegations. However, he complained this space too is also shrinking.

"For example, if Malaysiakini makes a mistake, I will point it out (and it will be reported). But some media cannot be criticised. If you say they are wrong, they will accuse you of curbing press freedom.

"When we sue the media, they also accuse us of curbing press freedom but when we do not get the opportunity to respond, what else can we do?" he asked.

On the Kajang by-election, Lim acknowledged that he was not informed of the ‘Kajang Move’ but said PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had explained the matter.

"If it affects DAP or PAS or Pakatan Rakyat as a whole, of course PKR should inform us.

"But even though this matter (the Kajang Move) affects Pakatan, it is more to resolving an internal PKR problem, so we should give them some space (to resolve the matter)," Lim added.