Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has warned various quarters that he would not hesitate to take legal action against those who spread lies and slander to create public unrest in the state.

"I have been accused of eating dog meat when I am a dog lover. These are indeed dangerous lies and slander.

"I do not know if tomorrow I would be accused of issuing an edict (fatwa) although I would have nothing to do with that as I am not a Muslim,” he said, at a press conference after attending the appointment of Penang Transport Council members in George Town today.

Lim said there were attempts to spread lies to incite racial sentiments about certain issues in the state. However he did not elaborate on them.

"The Penang government will not hesitate to take action to clear its name against these lies and stop them from spreading.

"I expect that there will be other lies, many lies not related to this subject but to others - dangerous lies because those involved want to create public unrest," he added.

However when asked as to what he was he referring to, Lim replied "I am talking in general terms".

He added there was also a concerted attempt to paint a negative picture or tell lies about the state government, which left him no choice but to take legal action.

Accused of eating dog meat

He said he had been accused of eating dog meat due to the state's decision to cull strays to prevent the spread of rabies but "that is personal, we can put that aside".

"But we are now facing something to that level against the state government by individual leaders who touch on issues which can cause racial and religious unrest, so we will act to clear our name," he added.

He pointed squarely to the "BN media", which he said was fond of playing up racial and religious issues to create public unrest.

He said if the state did not act upon the alleged lies, the public may believe they were all true.