INTERVIEW | Lim Guan Eng is known for suing newspapers which he deems to have crossed the line, and for dismissing what he describes as BN media – news organisations linked to the ruling coalition.

Publications such as Utusan Malaysia, The New Straits Times and The Star are no strangers to his swift legal actions.

“I have a cool relationship with the press,” said the Penang chief minister when quizzed on this.

Lim often tells reporters that his legal actions are “nothing personal” as his beef is with their respective managements.

In a bid to repair his image, the DAP leader yesterday, on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, visited retired The Star columnist AR Amiruddin at the Penang General Hospital, and handed a donation of RM1,000 for his medical expenses.

Amiruddin, 72, was surprised that "such an esteemed person would visit a small fry like me".

Lim has now trained his guns on the Chinese media, saying their hostile relationship with him begun during the 2013 general election.

He has openly criticised three media organisations in Penang for accepting donations from 1Malaysia Welfare Club, a dodgy entity that was run by a friend of Jho Low (photo), the Penang-born billionaire linked to the 1MDB scandal.

The club, which has since been de-registered, organised daily dinners and lucky draws, and gave out millions of ringgit in donations to associations and NGOs.

Low and two others, including Rosmah Mansor's son, Riza Aziz, are subjects of investigations in several countries, including the US Department of Justice, Switzerland and Singapore, for alleged money laundering activities.

Lim claimed that his relationship with the Chinese media turned sour over this.

“Did the funds come from 1MDB? Our relationship turned sour when I refused to endorse them receiving the money,” he said.

“They used every opportunity to spread false rumours against me and my family. I only sue the press which spreads lies against me.

“When there are lies against a chief minister, it can affect our government,” he said.

'If you can sue me, why can't I sue you?'

Lim claimed that he initially restrained himself from suing the Chinese press but when one of their reporters took him to court in March, he had changed his mind.

“I asked myself - If you can sue me, why can’t I sue you?” he added.

Ong Beng Siang (front, left on photo), a reporter with Guang Ming Daily, filed the suit against Lim for his allegation that Ong was “unethical, unprofessional and is out to topple the Penang government”.

Now Lim is suing two Chinese newspapers for allegations that he had rejected a RM120 million guaranteed profit for the sale of land on Pulau Jerejak.

Describing the Chinese press as “disappointing”, Lim accused them of being unable to distinguish facts from lies.

“If a newspaper publishes fake news... I have no choice but to sue, especially when they don't give us the right of reply,” he said.

Lately, speculation has been rife that Lim was behind a reporter’s transfer out of Penang, which he strongly denied.

“The two persons in the top leadership of the newspaper are linked to 1MDB, so definitely there is not much relationship with them,” he said.

Lim said he tried not to sue the Chinese press because he felt that they too had been victimised by BN.

“We felt, even when we are not happy, at least we have a little more room in terms of replying to allegations, as compared to other mainstream papers.

“But recently, we feel that the room is getting smaller and smaller,” he added.

As for the coming general election, Lim said he expected these media organisations, which he accused of receiving 1MDB funds, to continue being hostile towards DAP.

“This is the price we have to pay when we fight 1MDB.

“We now depend on the social media, and Buletin Mutiara, but it is very challenging,” he added in reference to the state government’s biweekly newspaper.

“We need to sharpen up our campaign. So even if we fail and do not succeed, we will go down fighting, go down with our heads held high and stay strong to our principles,” he added.

Tomorrow: Guan Eng's advice to children on the possibility of facing jail time