DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today called for strength in the face of “political crisis”, following his arrest for corruption today.
This was his message before he was taken away by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), according to Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow.
“Lim told me to keep up our spirits in facing this political crisis and to ensure the party and state government remains solid,” Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow said in a statement.
Chow also urged all DAP members to remain calm and wait for party instructions on further action.
DAP will hold an emergency meeting soon, he said.
DAP Youth chief Wong Kah Woh said the arrest is “politically-motivated” given that Lim had already spent 10 hours quizzed by the MACC before.
“Why is there a need for the arrest of the chief minister where no further evidence are to be adduced?
“This move clearly a case of the MACC being instrumentalised by (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) to silence his political adversary is absolutely nonsensical and reeks of BN and Umno’s characteristic political scheming,” he said in a separate statement.
Lim is expected to be charged under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act and the Section 165 of the Penal Code at the Penang Sessions Court tomorrow.
The Penang chief minister was arrested over the re-zoning of land and the purchase of a bungalow, said to be at below market price.
The seller of the RM2.8 million bungalow was also arrested today, and is expected to be charged tomorrow.
Lim has previously denied wrongdoing.
Wan Azizah: Abu Kassim’s chance to leave legacy
Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Mohamad Sabu said the arrest is “shocking” given that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who admitted to receiving RM2.6 billion in his personal account, is still free.
The attorney-general cleared Najib was cleared of wrongdoing in January, after establishing the RM2.6 billion were a donation from the Saudi royal family.
“Selective prosecution continues in Malaysia,” Mohamad said in a statement.
“Amanah hopes Lim will see justice done in an open court and the rakyat rise to combat corruption and misappropriations like the RM2.6 billion and 1MDB issue and other scandals,” he said.
PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the arrest strengthens belief of a systematic plan to spook and harass federal opposition leaders in the lead up to the 14th general election
She thus urges the MACC to act professionally so as to not feed perception of selective prosecution.
“This is outgoing MACC chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamad’s best chance to leave a legacy that proves that MACC is not a political tool," she said in a statement. Abu Kassim will retire in August.
PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said the arrest is part of a “vicious and relentless conspiracy” to discredit Lim and the federal opposition.
“I told Guan Eng that I am solidly behind him in this very trying moment as he stands persecuted by the powers that be who are obviously hell-bent on undermining him and the state government of Penang,” he said, relating his phone conversation with the CM before he was taken into custody.
“Let me make it clear that I have complete faith in the leadership of Guan Eng in his stewardship of the Penang state and I applaud his unstinting efforts at having successfully transformed the State government of Penang as a shining example of transparency, accountability and good governance,” he said in a statement.
