Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has blasted the Penang Club for cancelling the launch of a book by former journalist Kee Thuan Chye, saying this will never be forgiven.

lim guan eng "To err is human, to forgive divine. On a personal level, Lim Guan Eng can forgive you but as the chief minister, he will not forgive the Penang Club," he said at the book launch at another venue in Penang on Saturday.

"You can take liberties with Lim Guan Eng ( right ) because I am an ordinary citizen but when you take liberties with the post of the chief minister, I have the right to defend my office, because my office has the mandate of the people of Penang and I represent them."

There were loud cheers from the 150-strong crowd who had turned up.

Lim was to have launched Kee's second book ‘Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More’ at the well-established club on Feb 28, but this was cancelled at the last minute.

Kee said the club had told him that it did not want to be "politically aligned".

The club, via a letter from its board members to the press, has clarified that "the cancellation has no bearing whatsoever with the proposed attendance by Lim, our honorary member who has in fact spoken at our invitation at the inaugural lecture of the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Lecture series".

"The president and the committee members extend their 'wholehearted apologies' to Lim for any misunderstanding caused by the cancellation," said the president Yeap Soon Rhee.

However, Lim said this was the first time it has been shown that a chief minister is not welcome in his own state.

"I don't understand why they gave me an honorary membership. They gave it to me because I am the chief minister, not because I am Lim Guan Eng - and yet, I was not allowed to launch Kee's book," he said.

azlan Lim also questioned the reason cited by the club - that it could get into the bad books of the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

"Is it so serious? I thought people only get into trouble with ROS if they steal money. Those who actually steal money also do not get into trouble," he joked.

The crowd, most of them comprising Kee's former classmates from Penang Free School, shouted "Bullshit!" in response.

"Thank you," replied Lim, to laud applause.

Truly contrite?

Lim said the club had tried to make up to him by apologising via a letter to his office.

no more bullshit, we are all malaysians book by kee thuan chye However, if it was truly contrite, he said, it would taken the trouble to replace the cancelled event.

"Where is the sense of atonement? Why don't they organise another event with all expenses paid?

"If they do not show real remorse or contrition, what is the point? Tiada maaf bagi mu (No forgiveness for you)."

Kee is the author of the best-selling book 'No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians'.  

The writer, who hails from Penang, was voted 34th in the ‘Most Trusted Malaysian’ poll conducted by Reader's Digest in 2010.