The recent misunderstanding that took place between Penang Chief Mnister Lim Guan Eng and PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim over the resignation of Penanti assemblyperson Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin has been put to rest.

anwar ibrahim and lim guan eng Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, has accepted Anwar’s apology over the issue caused by a lack of communication.

He said the matter is closed after all relevant issues pertaining to it had been trashed out.

“What was said had all been settled and put aside to rest. We will now move on from here," Lim told newsmen at the Penang legislative assembly in Georgetown today.

He added that DAP will now focus its attention to supporting the PKR in retaining the vacant Penanti seat, whose incumbent representative Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin resigned on April 16.

Anwar should have told Guan Eng directly

mohammad fairus penanti state seat penang 230309 The misunderstanding between Lim and Anwar, the parliamentary opposition leader, occurred when the PKR leadership failed to inform the Penang chief minister in time over Fairus’ resignation as Penanti assemblyperson.

Lim expressed disappointment that he was alerted by the press, rather than the PKR leadership, over Fairus’ quit notice.

Anwar told newsmen in Penanti last Friday that PKR headquarters had faxed the quit notice to Lim’s office in Komtar, Penang on Thursday morning when the chief minister was away in Singapore then.

However, not only Lim but several DAP local leaders as well were unhappy that Anwar did not have the courtesy to inform the chief minister directly over the matter before it became public.

The fiasco has prompted opposition Gerakan to criticised Lim as a “chief minister without power” and describing the Pakatan Rakyat coalition as a “one-man supremacy”.

DAP supremo and Lim’s father, Kit Siang revealed yesterday that Anwar had apologised to Lim and the issue was now closed.

Announcement of by-election date on Friday?

Fairus quit his Penanti state seat following his resignation as the deputy chief minister 1 and executive councillor from Lim’s state government effective April 8.

The Election Commission is expected to announce the date of the by-election on Friday.

bukit gantang election day police fru team 070409 Meanwhile, the chief minister welcomed the police force’s plan to increase its manpower and patrols to combat crime in Penang.

He assured that the state government would give its fullest cooperation to the police to make “Penang safer and Penangites, especially women and children, to feel safer”.

Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan said the police had expanded its offensive action against crime to Selangor, Penang, Perak and Johor, following its action which began in Kuala Lumpur a week ago.

Musa wants more of his men and women in blue to hit the streets and get tough with the bad hats to keep the country safe.

Police would now increase their patrols and presence in public places day and night to prevent crime.