YOURSAY | ‘He should have known better that he can’t afford to create even a slight perception of wrongdoing.’

The men who hunt Lim Guan Eng

HaveAGreatDay: Writer S Thayaparan, I am trying to digest what the crux of your position is. A political persecution requires a political response.

That the ‘Apa nanti’ chap is doing the hatchet work himself shows Lim Guan Eng is a dead man walking - a prison cell is already assigned to him.

He should spite the Umnoputras by using the time he has out of jail to put the DAP on a firmer footing. Make no mistake about it, the Umnoputras will mount a full frontal assault on Penang.

Guan Eng should ensure his successor has all the tools required to hold the fort.

Sabahan: We cannot exclude the reason for these trumped up and ridiculous charges are to cause Guan Eng to take a leave of absence.

When he does so, the trial will be delayed and prolonged until the next general election, thereby depriving the people of Penang who overwhelmingly voted for him, of the most capable CM Penang ever had.

We should not fall into this trap for if we do, we will see further DAP and PKR leaders suffer the same fate.

Pemerhati: If the information in the Malaysiakini report titled ‘The ABC of Guan Eng’s corruption charges’ is correct, then Lim does have a case to answer.

The report says that in July 2014 at a Penang State Planning Committee meeting Lim approved the rezoning of a land from agricultural to housing in favour of Magnificent Emblem which is owned by Phang Li Koon.

“Lim purchased the house from Phang on July 28, 2015, which is over a year after the land conversion was approved.” The price paid by Lim is said to be RM1.47 million below the market price.

The above facts suggest that Phang sold the house cheaply because Lim a year earlier made her land much more valuable by rezoning it to housing.

The fact that the application for planning permission was rejected in December 2015 does not help Lim as he bought the house in July 2015 when both Lim and Phang thought that Phang’s land had been converted to housing.

However, if what Lim did is wrong then what Najib did in 1MDB is 20,000 times worse.

Fair Play: I am not taking sides. But knowing the present state of the ‘ketuanan politics’, Guan Eng's chances are very slim indeed. And the major part is his own doing, as exemplified by Pemerhati.

I am trying to draw a line to connect the dots and I believe Guan Eng has made a big blunder to give the ‘ketuanan’ a foot into the door before it could close. The first dot was the rezoning of the land belonging to Phang from agricultural to housing.

Never mind it was not approved later. The second dot was Guan Eng bought the house in question from Phang, albeit a year later. Any person with average intelligence is able to draw a line to connect the two dots.

I very much doubt Guan Eng could escape this one. Whether this would affect his political career in the longer term is another matter. It looks like Anwar Ibrahim might not be alone for long.

Justine Gow: Whether his purchase of the bungalow at below market price is proper or not, Guan Eng should have known better that he cannot afford to create even a slight perception of wrongdoing.

His political enemies are not concerned with wrongdoings (as there are plenty in their own parties) but more on seizing the opportunities to point out that opposition politicians are not any different from Umno politicians. This is exactly what they are doing now.

Anticonmen: In the first place, this is a totally vindictive and defective charge in law. The conditions of corruption are not fulfilled.

You may claim that there was consideration from Phang to Guan Eng in the cheaper house price but where is the consideration from Guan Eng to Phang when the rezoning application was rejected by the state?

Guan Eng is not the sole approving authority. Where is the mutual consideration or quid-pro-quo for corruption? Only a fair-minded judge will see the gross injustice being done to Guan Eng.

The Malaysian Citizen: For the life of me, how can Guan Eng's supporters think he is a victim. He has been around since 2008 in Penang, and no one has disturbed him, and then he does this, buy a bungalow much lower than the market price.

Are you all saying this is the new norm for corruption? What is stopping anyone from selling a government servant a bungalow for half price when they want favours done? Every one of them can claim ‘willing-buyer, willing-seller’.

This will then move to other things like condos, cars, land, all on willing-buyer, willing-seller, and this will all be given by third parties so that it becomes more believable.

When a cop or Road Transport Department officer stops me, my friend who is not involved with them gives RM300-RM500, it’s a willing-giver willing-taker, so no corruption is committed. What a stupid cockeyed way of thinking.

Bumiputhran: The notion that this is a politically motivated prosecution is in no doubt. What is more concerning is that the outcome of the trial is predictable. We saw that happen at Anwar's second sodomy trial.

Even in the face of clear evidence in support of Anwar's innocence, the five judges found him guilty. In the court of public opinion, there was no judicial fairness for Anwar.

What can you expect in Guan Eng's case? Is it not a forgone conclusion? Malaysians will have to think of other options to put away the allegedly corrupt regime of Umno headed by Najib.

Quigonbond: Reading this, I will say this much. This is a political prosecution, and since the same rules don't apply to everyone, the opposition is entitled to apply a variation of the rules to themselves.

You can say Umno is going to milk this. Of course, they would. If Guan Eng steps down, you think they wouldn't? I say, Guan Eng, press on.

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