DAP and its traditional rival MCA have locked horns on who should take credit for the RM30 million allocation for Tunku Abdul Rahman University College in the 2018 Budget.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guang Eng claimed that MCA was incompetent because the allocation was secured when DAP lawmaker Teo Kok Seong raised the matter in Parliament.
Lim, who is also the DAP secretary-general, said the Education Ministry had revealed the allocation later.
"MCA had failed to get it but a DAP lawmaker did. What is the use of MCA? Throw it into the rubbish bin,” he was quoted as saying by Nanyang Siang Pau.
"Although this is only half of the RM60 million allocated under the 2015 Budget, it is still better than nothing. We will continue to fight for the RM60million," he added.
The chief minister was speaking at the DAP Youth annual general assembly in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Responding to this, MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon accused Lim of being a “low class” politician.
"Lim never showed any interest in the funds given to TAR University College but now claims credit by saying DAP got it from the government. This is a joke," he said.
On Nov 28, Teo had questioned in Parliament why there was no allocation for the academic institution. Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh replied that he would look into the matter.
In a statement dated Dec 2, the Higher Education Ministry clarified that RM30 million has been set aside. But this was under the ministry's management sector instead of operational expenditure.
Meanwhile, Chong said Lim gave the impression that Teo could “turn stone into gold”.
“It was as though that when he (the DAP lawmaker) questioned (the issue) in the Dewan Rakyat, the ministry was able to allocate RM30 million in a few days.
"His statement is a typical low-class tactic of a political opportunist, who just wants to mislead the public and defame MCA," he added in a statement.
Chong pointed out that MCA lawmaker Wee Jack Seng had also raised the issue in the Dewan Rakyat on the same day but Lim had ignored this.
