Lim Guan Eng has been urged to resign as Penang chief minister to prove he follows the principles of competency, accountability and transparency bandied about by his party, DAP.

Puteri Umno chief Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the decision to stay in power despite having been charged in court for corruption, clearly showed that the party's slogan was merely political rhetoric.

"What is happening in DAP right now is 'seumpama meludah ke langit dan terkena ke muka sendiri' (like spitting towards the sky and the spit lands on one's own face).

"The issue of non-transparency of BN government which had been speculated and sensationalised in their campaign, was actually a scam to divert the people's attention from DAP's misconduct," she said in a statement in Malacca today.

As such, she said to prove that the party really practised what it preached, Lim should step down and take a break until the court had made its decision.

 Lim, 56, was accused of using his position as chief minister in his and his wife Betty Chew Gek Cheng's interest, to approve the conversion of a piece of land from its status as agricultural land to residential land, and transferring it to a company, Magnificient Emblem Sdn Bhd.

The DAP secretary-general was also accused of corruptly obtaining for himself and his wife, a piece of land and a bungalow at No 25, Jalan Pinhorn, George Town, from a businesswoman, Phang Li Koon, for RM2.8 million.

The chief minister pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to both charges.

- Bernama