It is a joke that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng says that "I am barking up the wrong tree". The chief minister must be delusional.

On the contrary, I had called upon the Umno state assemblyperson Jahara Hamid to respect the Federal Constitution first and thereafter chastised the chief minister for failing in his duty to protect or assert the rights of minorities under the Federal Constitution.

MCA had called to question the need to have two additional criteria to the 'Datuk Kong's' existence introduced by the CM i.e. firstly, it must be "a heritage" and secondly, it must be "a replacement of an existing shrine?"

Instead of seeking this opportunity to clarify or correct his errors, Lim chose to play the racial game of pitting MCA against Umno.

This chief minister must force me to embarrass him further and remind him of the law of which he has sworn to uphold .

The law expressly provides the right to put up a shrine upon approval by the state irrespective of whether it is an existing shrine or if it is a heritage.

The chief minister erred when he referred to two additional conditions : -

1. It is a heritage; and

2. It is a replacement of an old one.

Lim is confused. He cannot differentiate his official duty and role as a chief minister of Penang from his party role.

Indeed I have chastised Jahara for questioning the law of the land. How can Lim turn around and deny this open published fact?

Instead of being delusional and passing his duty and responsibility to chastise Jahara in the House (Dewan), I am calling and exposing his cowardice.

He is now asking me to do his job? I have chastised the ignorant state assemblyperson for raising a non-issue.

Thereafter I had reminded the chief minister for failing in his duty to take his own state assemblyperson to task instead of beating around the bush. This involves the debate in the House of law, and not party policies or politics.

It is lame of Lim to once again resort to politicking by pitting Umno against MCA instead of discharging his constitutional duties in the Dewan.

If I were the CM, I will definitely put the assemblyperson in her place by referring her to the Federal Constitution and reprimand her ignorance.

Unfortunately I am not in the Dewan. Nor am I the chief minister. Thus I expect the chief minister to discharge his sworn duty to uphold the law of the land. Sadly, Lim has fallen beneath the mark again .

It is unbecoming and an escapism to say that "it is up to MCA to scold Umno". Lim should stop politicking or "partying" and DAP must stop passing the buck or duties to MCA.

TI LIAN KER is the MCA religious harmony bureau chairperson.