In its 40 years in Penang, Gerakan brought development to the state with no incidents of abuse of power or corruption, said the party’s president Mah Siew Keong.

Mah appealed to Penangites to give Gerakan the opportunity to be the check and balance for the state government led by Pakatan Harapan.

He told Gerakan members and leaders to “hold your head up high, be brave and fight the battle” in Penang, congratulating them for working so hard in spite of having no seats in the state.

Mah said the DAP has been leading Penang for only eight years, but there are already incidents of corruption like the case of Sungai Pinang assemblywoman Lim Siew Khim’s dad who allegedly received bribe money in exchange for public housing.

Mah said the incident involving Siew Khim’s dad Lim Keat Seong, 68, showed Penangites were desperate to own homes.

The Penang government and Siew Khim denied involvement in the incident, but the latter admitted that her father sometimes created trouble for the family.

State executive councillor in-charge of housing Jagdeep Singh Deo has urged victims who had paid money in return for housing units to immediately lodge police reports.

Siew Khim blamed Gerakan for whipping up the issue to divert attention from the party’s internal squabble for the Sungai Pinang state seat.

“Not everything is a conspiracy, in this case, state Gerakan vice-chairman Oh Tong Keong told the truth,” Mah said during his speech at the state’s delegates meeting held at the party’s headquarters along Jalan Macalister today.

“Siew Khim said she is a victim (of Gerakan’s internal squabble) but the victims are actually Penangites,” Mah added.

Oh had been at loggerheads with his own party leader, former national deputy secretary general Dr Thor Teong Gee, who resigned from all party posts after he was criticised for not being qualified to be the Sungai Pinang candidate.

Mah said DAP promised the “moon and stars” when they took over Penang but they ended up blaming Gerakan’s previous administrations when things go wrong.

He asked “where are all the anti-corruption heroes in DAP?” when the issue of Siew Khim’s dad allegedly received bribes were revealed in a video clip on a pro-BN Facebook page.

“They (DAP and its supporters) say that this is a small wrong; so is DAP a party of small wrongs? That is why Gerakan needs to be the check and balance for the good of Penang and Penangites,” Mah added.

Meanwhile, Mah also slammed DAP for becoming arrogant and comfortable with “absolute power” that the state nearly had a snap election “because of one person”.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had wanted snap polls to seek a fresh mandate for DAP and Pakatan, after he was charged with two counts of corruption related to the purchase of his RM2.8 million bungalow along Jalan Pinhorn.

Lim, who is DAP secretary general, has claimed trial to both counts of graft, and his case is up for mention on Sept 22 at the Penang High Court.