Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will not be attending the rally organised by the coalition called Kita Lawan in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow to push for the release of jailed Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

To be held outside the Sogo Shopping Mall from 4pm to midnight, the rally is also to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Lim ( right ) said the rally is organised by NGOs and the youth wings of the Pakatan Rakyat parties, while he, and several other state assemblypersons, are in the state government.

"We need to carry out our responsibilities in the state," Lim said after attending the ground-breaking ceremony of the SP Chelliah affordable housing project in George Town today.

Lim said this weekend will also see the start of the handing out of the appreciation award of RM100 each for senior citizens, during which the assemblypersons would be present to distribute the money.

"It is a people's programme, so we need to treat that as a priority," Lim said.

"We have already instructed all the assemblypersons to assist in the distribution of the money, so we are not going (to the rally)," he added.

"I, myself will at my constituency giving out the awards and would not be able to attend the event."

Duty before rallies

Speculation is rife that the turn out for the Kita Lawan rally would be lower than expected, due to the lack of support from Pakatan elected representatives and members.

Some of the elected representatives have also explained that they have duties to carry out, like attending Chinese New Year open houses and state government programmes, for which they have been criticised by the public.

Anwar, the Permatang Pauh MP, is serving a five-year jail sentence at the Sungei Buloh Prison, after being convicted in the long-drawn Sodomy II case.

He remains as parliamentary opposition leader and MP until the Yang di-Pertuan Agong responds to his family's application for a royal pardon for Anwar.

Meanwhile when contacted, PKR Machang Bubok assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon said he would be attending the rally as he also needs to attend PKR's convention in Shah Alam tomorrow.

The party's secretary-general Rafizi Ramli has instructed him to attend both events as a PKR assemblyperson and Bukit Mertajam PKR division chief.

"We are also mobilising two buses from Machang Bubok to attend the meeting and rally in Kuala Lumpur," Khai Loon told Malaysiakini .

'Seniors handout to go on'

He said he has made the necessary arrangements to ensure that a senior citizens appreciation award programme in his constituency runs smoothly in his absence.

"Four of my assistants, village development and security committee members, DAP and PAS local leaders will be around to help. There should not be any problem," he said.

"Also this is not the first time we are distributing the cash to the senior citizens and tomorrow is not the only day to hand out the money," Khai Loon added.

The senior citizens RM100 cash award was launched in 2009, and distribution to five districts in Penang starts tomorrow but according to Khai Loon, the money can be handed over on other days as well.

Meanwhile, in another press conference in Penang today, Lim responded to PKR assemblypersons’ plan to attend their party’s convention, thus skipping the state programme for senior citizens.

“They may need to attend the convention but they will rush back to Penang after the event, like Deputy Chief Minister I Rashid Hasnon plans to do,” Lim said.

The senior citizens programme is very important, Lim said, adding that the date for the event had been earlier fixed.

“State executive councillor and PKR Seberang Jaya assemblyperson Dr Afif Bahardin will also be in Penang to attend the distribution as his constituency is under Permatang Pauh, and that is very important,” he added.

Asked if Lim had instructed all the Pakatan assemblypersons in Penang to stay back to attend the senior citizen programme, he replied, “They are all aware of the function (tomorrow).”