YOURSAY ‘Perceptions of conflict of interest must not taint CM's office.’
Appointment of CM’s wife raises eyebrows
Anti Korap: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. You are not only to be clean but be seen to be clean.
Where was Penang Chinese Chambers of Commerce (PCCC) advisor Tan Kok Ping and many other Penang-based developers when the poor Penangites voted out BN? They didn’t have any non-BN members on their board of directors or committees of interest then, did they?
Come on, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, be open and stop the family members from assuming public position of private entities. Even prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor won’t agree to it.
The Mask: I agree that Penang CM’s wife Betty Chew should not accept the offer. After all, she is already earning her living as a practising lawyer. It is a different story if she has no job.
So Lim, do the right thing, keep a clean slate and don’t expose yourself to wrong perceptions.
Hang Tuah: Lim, I don't think it is appropriate to appoint your wife. This is about perception, please walk the talk. Do what you preach to preserve your integrity and respect. We hope you will reconsider it.
Supercession: What do you mean "no comment", Chew? If you want to avoid controversy, and if you believe in ethical behaviour, then you should decline the offer from PCCC to join the property services committee immediately.
Anonymous_1419577444: Power has gone into Lim’s head. He should go back to the righteous path before people starts hating him or his family.
My Opinion: Isn’t Chew well-qualified? Is there anybody better qualified than her? If no, why the fuss?
Wira: The PCCC is a trade organisation catering to the interests of Chinese businessmen in the state. If her presence in the committee can help the Chinese businessmen in a generic sense, I don't see why Chew should decline such an appointment.
It is not as if she is given an official government position to spend our money like the other politician’s wife.
Imanust Nais Yalam: “We should not deny her rights to make a living as others do,” said PCCC property development, construction and management committee convenor Finn Choong Khuat Seng.
What sort of crap is that? In my eyes, the husband will likely approve the application when the wife lobbies for it. And when queried, he/she will just say I don't know what my husband/wife does - everything ‘kow tim’, Shahrizat-style.
Let it be known I am a supporter of DAP. I hope the older Lim can have a word with his son and daughter-in-law on the right path of DAP struggle.
Proarte: PCCC advisor and property developer Tan’s denial that he was not aware of the illegal logging and clearing of the hill near Bukit Jambul beggars belief given that it took place over months.
Why then has he not rehabilitated the hill and replanted it with trees of similar species? CM Lim, whose office is in Komtar and has a bird's eye view of Penang Island, must have been aware of the unconscionable destruction of the hill.
This was at a time when the 'cleaner greener Penang' campaign was in full swing. It seems the state government is following BN's footsteps in being adept at sloganeering but hypocritical to the core.
Now we hear of the CM's wife being considered for a position in the PCCC where Tan is advisor. Conflict of interest or even perceptions of conflict of interest must never taint the CM's office. Chew's appointment would be doing just that.
The Analyser: I've often thought that adult Chinese are uneducable simply because they already know everything. Yet they are so profoundly ignorant of so many everyday facts that are necessary for a functioning society.
Lim is apparently in that general category. In this case there may not be a conflict of interest, but there certainly is a conflict of common sense.
Commentable: Let's not get overboard and start jumping up and down. I think people have jumped the gun on this whole issue.
My understanding is that there is an invitation/offer given out by PCCC but that offer has not been accepted yet.
The next point is what exactly does the PCCC do? We have been told it is a trade organisation and not a political body. So is the PCCC a body that possesses actual legislative or municipal authority? Has it the power to give out licences or mete out punitive orders?
Has it the power to even give out state government contracts? Or is the PCCC's role only to provide support services to members of the public, regardless of race?
If so, then given the fact that Chew's appointment (if she so accepts) will make her merely a division head of property services, would it not make her an asset to the public, given the fact that she is the CM's wife? Just food for thought.
FellowMalaysian: If PCCC is just a trade organisation, why did Chong invite the CM’s wife to head a committee? Bad move, Chew.
Ferdtan: A thousand ‘no’ for Chew to sit as a property services committee of the PCCC. What is the difference between PM Najib's wife, Rosmah, and the wife of Penang CM’s wife? No difference (at present), as both do not hold any party official posts.
As long as she serves any public or private companies with dealings with the state where her husband is in control, it is seen as a conflict of interest.
Please DAP, don’t go the way of BN especially Umno where we see their family taking part in mega projects tainted by conflict of interest. If Chew wants to contribute and earn a living, do it outside the state where Lim cannot be accused of favouritism.
DAP, do it you lose votes. The voters nowadays are not like before; we expect much more of our elected leaders.
Baiyuensheng: I am just very frustrated. All this while, Lim has been portraying himself as a moral, upright and a principled person. How disappointing when he does not practice what he preaches.
Perception counts. Any hint that your integrity is compromised; you must run away from it. If you can’t do right, don’t ever criticise others. It is a simple code, and you don’t misuse your power and position.
If you do, what is the difference between you and Umno? I might as well vote for Umno.
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