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What the opposition, NGOs are saying about Guan Eng's charges
Published:  Jun 30, 2016 6:18 PM
Updated: 10:55 AM

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was today charged with abuse of power and corruption in the High Court in Penang.

While Lim's detractors said the charges were a long time coming, his arrest yesterday sparked an outcry in the opposition as well as among some civil society groups.

Below are the highlights of the responses from the opposition parties and civil society groups.

PSM central committee member Dr Michael Jeyakumar

"The PSM supports a policy of zero tolerance for corruption, especially in elected officers, but we must be even-handed.

"We do not see the need to deploy 200 police personnel to arrest Lim. Was it even necessary to arrest and detain him overnight?

"This is an attempt to intimidate the opposition and probably to settle previous scores.

"BN leaders should be held accountable to the same standards. The investigation and prosecution of corruption should not be politicised.

"This arrest and selective prosecution of Lim seems to be an immediate show of arrogance by the Najib regime, just after winning the recent two by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar.

"Thus, how would the Najib regime act if it were to win big in the 14th general election?"

Penang PKR chief Mansor Othman

"Penang PKR states its support for Lim's leadership and therefore stands firmly behind him.

"From the beginning, attacks after attacks have been launched against Lim over the bungalow issue.

"Penang PKR hopes the court proceedings will be truly transparent and will not be be infleunced by political elements.

"Penang PKR believes a free system without political influence will ensure justice for all."

Penang PAS commissioner Mohd Fauzi Yusof

"Penang PAS holds on to the principle that someone is innocent unless proven guilty as stressed by the PAS president in the past.

"Even though Lim and his allies often attack PAS with various allegations and slander, PAS still acts based on the Quran which urges justice even when dealing with enemies.

"All quarters should put their trust in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), just as the opposition supported the MACC when MACC senior officers involved in the 1MDB scandal investigations were transferred.

"If support to the MACC and other enforcement agencies is only extended when it is politically expedient to certain quarters, then clearly the support is only to gain cheap political mileage and not based on the principle of truth.

"To improve the confidence of political parties and the people in the prosecution process, the attorney-general should also act on the investigation papers concerning other issues of national corruption involving the country's leaders."

Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen

"We have every confidence in the integrity and innocence of Lim and will continue to support his leadership of the party, despite the selective prosecution and all the smearing against him by the BN government.

"I would like to remind the MACC about the hundreds of thousands of acres of state land in Sarawak, which were alienated to BN cronies without any open tender process and clearly at grossly below their market value.

"Yet, till this day, no one is prosecuted or faces any consequence under the law.

"This clear case of double standard on the part of the BN government and the political persecution will only make us, Sarawak DAP, more resolved to continue our fight for a fair, just and democratic Malaysia for all Malaysians and our future generations."

Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) chief executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan

"It is good to see that the MACC has done its job in investigating this case without fear or favour. This is a high-profile case and the reputation of the MACC is at stake.

"Malaysians have not forgotten that Mohamed Apandi Ali's appointment as attorney-general was rushed in by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak at the height of investigations into Najib himself.

"No matter how honest he is, there will still be a significant portion of the population who will accuse Apandi of being a puppet of the Najib administration and that the decision to arrest YB Lim is part of a political conspiracy.

"Apandi can take a very important step to bring back trust to the institution of the attorney-general and on himself.

"The most important thing to do right now is to separate the role of attorney-general as chief legal adviser to the government from that of the office of the public prosecutor."

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