Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is offended by a report in Utusan Malaysia today that says he is upset with the name given to the second Penang bridge.

Prime Minister Najib Razak named the bridge after Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah after opening it in an elaborate ceremony last Saturday, complete with fireworks in the midst of several thousand people.

Lim said only the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia would publish such a report about the longest bridge in Southeast Asia.

The report on page 26 of the daily is titled ‘Terima hati terbuka nama jambatan kedua’ (Accept name of second bridge with an open heart).

Utusan in the report said Lim appeared upset with the federal government's decision to name the RM4.5 billion bridge after the country's monarch as it was not discussed with the state government.

However, the report said, Lim had said the decision was not a problem, that he accepts it with an open heart and that the state supports the naming of bridge as it was the right of the federal government.

"Many reporters were around. Was I upset?" Lim asked at a press conference in Komtar today.

He said he was only asked if he had been informed of the bridge's name by a reporter after other questions were asked, adding he never talked about the matter prior to that.

"I just said ‘no’ when I was asked the question. The paper combined the two unrelated events to say I was upset, as if we do not agree with the name. This is completely untrue," Lim said.

" Utusan has malicious intent to try and cause friction between the federal government and me over the decision to name the bridge" he added.

"I have already said that this is the prerogative of the federal government and that we do not question that prerogative."

Lim said reporters at the event could attest to him not being upset at all over the naming of the bridge and he urged Utusan Malaysia not to distort such issues.