Even though the bank is closed on Saturdays, a crowd of about 30 people were gathered in front of Maybank in Puchong this morning.

These Puchong residents were here to show their support for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was charged with corruption on Thursday.

They were waiting to donate RM10 each, by banking in the money through the automated teller machine (ATM), and spirits were high as they chatted with each other and took pictures together while waiting in line.

The residents’ representative, Yap Chee Meng, said that this was an initiative planned by the residents themselves since yesterday morning, before they found out the RM1 million had been raised by the afternoon.

“But when we talked to the residents here, they actually still wanted to get involved.

“So we decided to carry on with our programme,” he told reporters outside the Maybank in Puchong today.

DAP had launched a donation drive on Thursday at 5pm to collect money for Lim’s RM1 million bail, after the party’s secretary-general was slapped with two corruption charges in the Penang High Court the same day.

The party had liquidated its funds to pay for Lim’s bail.

By 2pm on Friday, they announced that they had managed to collect RM1,009,000.

DAP’s Kinrara assemblyperson Ng Sze Han said that this was a very meaningful initiative by the residents to show their support for Lim and their anger about what had happened.

“To me, the amount of money is not that important any more because we have already collected RM1 million.

“But the public need a channel to show their anger or support for Lim,” he said.

As DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke had yesterday announced the ‘Support, Sympathy and Solidarity with Lim Guan Eng’ (SSSLGE) campaign, Ng said he considered this residents’ programme as the kickstart to the campaign.

Loke had yesterday said that any donations exceeding the RM1 million mark will be used to fund the SSSLGE campaign, a nationwide tour in support of Lim.

‘Getting everyone together for justice’

One of the donors waiting in line at Maybank today, Grace Yong, said she had already donated RM10 online yesterday, but she was here to donate again.

“It’s not the matter of money. It’s about getting everyone together for justice and fairness for this case,” Yong (right), who works in administration, told Malaysiakini.

She said she was hurt and saddened by the news of Lim getting charged with corruption, describing him as a “hero” of the people.

Electrical contractor Alex Chan described the charges against Lim as “not fair”, while housewife S Mageswary (below) said that it was “not right” and that she was unhappy about it.

The group of residents soon attracted the attention of passers-by, and they explained their purpose to them.

Several of them then ended up joining the queue to donate and also stuck notes on the banner hung outside the bank to show their support for Lim.

Graphic designer Lena Ng, who was with her two young sons, said she brought them along to teach them about justice and to help and support those in need.

“That’s how I explained it to them rather than being political.

“Justice and fairness, that’s very important to let them know because they will be living in the community later on in life.

“So from a young age, they need to know what is right or wrong,” she said.

Lim was arrested on Wednesday after chairing a state executive council meeting, and the bail of RM1 million was posted in the High Court on Thursday.

The two charges against the chief minister are related to him approving a plot of land for re-zoning to benefit businesswoman Phang Li Koon, and his purchase of a bungalow on Jalan Pinhorn from Phang at below the market value.

Lim claimed trial and the case has been fixed for mention on Sept 22.