Penang BN chief Teng Chang Yeow said today that the sponsor for top South Koream superstar Psy’s performance during the coalition’s Chinese New Year open house in Penang on Monday wants to remain anonymous.

“The sponsor wants to remain anonymous. Just like political donations, some people do not want to be known to be donating to us because they do not want to be victimised,” Teng told reporters after attending Gerakan’s Chinese New Year open house in Jelutong.

“Some of our sponsorship comes from people who are doing business in Penang. I have many sponsors and they want to remain anonymous,” he said.

“Many who are doing business with me told me that look, you cannot tell people as they are worried about being victimised, whether here or in Selangor,” he added.

“Even if BN pays, the money comes from private sponsors, not from public funds. They wished to remain anonymous, I have to be fair to them,” he stressed.

NONE Teng, who is Gerakan secretary-general, was pressed by journalists to reveal the sponsor behind mega-star Psy or Park Jae-sung, who allegedly asked for about RM1.5 million to perform his four-minute world hit ‘ Oppa Gangnam Style ’ at Han Chiang College.

About 30,000 people including Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor and their two children and a host of BN leaders including three ministers and former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, turned up to watch Psy perform.

Sponsor is Teng’s ‘old friend’

Teng, a former USM graduate, went on to say that Psy’s sponsor is someone who is known to him as an “old friend” from his university days.

He added that the mysterious sponsor offered him two artistes - Psy and Justin Bieber.

“I was just like PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat, I did not know who is Justin Bieber, so I took Psy,” he said laughing.

When asked whether his friend paid for Psy’s show, Teng replied, “Somebody paid for it.”

When asked why the BN was being “secretive” about the issue, Teng answered, “What to do when people who paid for him does not want others to know?”

When told that sponsors who spend millions on performers would usually like their identities to be publicised, Teng added, “Not everyone who has money wants to show off.”

Teng was unfazed when told that the secrecy would merely heighten the speculation that BN had used the rakyat’s money to pay for Psy.

“It’s only Malaysiakini that wants to heighten the speculation,” he shot back.

‘Whatever I promise, I deliver’

Meanwhile, Teng said he wanted to tell Penangites that whatever he promised, he would deliver.

“I thought this offer comes once in a lifetime, so I grabbed the opportunity because I think it is good for Penang,” the former Penang state executive councillor said.

NONE “There were also friends who asked me to ask the PM to allow us to bring Elton John ( left ) to perform in Stadium Merdeka last year,” he noted.

“But I told them it is too political and the Information Ministry only allowed Elton to perform in Genting. I know quite a few people in the industry, not only one.

When asked whether it was Jho Low, a wealthy businessman closely associated with Rosmah, all Teng said was, “I don’t know who is Jho Low, I know him only by sight. I read from the news, I saw him that night, that’s all.”

When asked how much Psy was paid for his show, Teng said he did not know the amount, and his role was merely to link the events manager to the sponsor.

He denied being involved in further dealings with the mega-star, adding that he feared being accused of taking a cut out of the deal.

Psy’s management company had insisted that his performance was not paid with public funds.

Asked whether he was aware that people mostly attended the CNY event to see Psy perform and not so much for the BN or Najib, Teng said he knew that.

“The event was an open house. The Chinese saying is that when you have an open house on an auspicious day, you come with auspicious words and actions,” he said.

“I don’t expect people to come to my open house with a broom. That is taboo for the Chinese,” he added.

“So if there are people who came with brooms to our open house during Chinese New Year, then it shows lack of manners,” he stressed, hinting that he was referring to a large segment of the crowd who shouted ‘No’ three times when Najib asked if they were ready for BN.

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