Solidarity Walk With Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng

GEORGE TOWN: The national opposition is sensing a snap election after Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was charged with graft and abuse of power last Thursday at the Penang High Court.

This feeling was picked up by speakers during a ceramah at the Dewan Sri Pinang today with most alluding to an early 14th General Election.

Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy started the ball rolling when he said morale was high among the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government following victories in the Sarawak state election and the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangasr by-elections.

"The people will decide in the next general election, I feel Penang will remain with Pakatan Harapan (PH)," he said as more than a thousand strong crowd cheered at the Dewan Sri Pinang today.

Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Rashid Hasnon also did not miss a beat when he forecast PH winning 80% of the Penang votes if the election was called.

"We won 52% of the popular vote in 2013," he noted while Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail urged PH supporters to go to the ground to win the fence sitters.

"We can talk to the converted but we need to convince the others," the PKR president said.

Parit Buntar MP and Penang Amanah chairman Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa meanwhile got the crowd roaring in agreement after noting Lim still commanded the support of the public despite facing graft accusations.

"I have seen many who have been charged with corruption and abuse of power and not one of them have been able to raise money from the public for bail," he said.

Lim himself did not discount the possibility of early national polls, saying that the people will have to decide.

"It is up to the people to answer in the next general election," he said when asked in an ad-hoc press conference after
the ceramah.

Earlier in the morning, the commercial district in Lebuh Pantai here reverberated with shouts of "Lim Guan Eng" as thousands gathered for a solidarity walk with the chief minister.

Among those who walked was businesswoman Asma, 46, who said she wanted to show her support for Lim's government.

"There is no need for him to step down," she stressed when asked if Lim needed to take leave until the trial ends.

Another supporter, Khor See Beng, 55, laughed off the accusations.

"I support him as CM, I support his leadership," the voter from the Air Putih constituency, where Lim is assemblyman said.

Also among them was Harnik Kaur, 50, who was with her family of seven from Butterworth.

"We are behind him, we will not let him down," she said.

High Court set bail at RM1 million for Lim Guan Eng

The High Court set bail at RM1 million for Lim Guan Eng this afternoon after the Penang chief minister claimed trial to two corruption charges.

After his plea was recorded, Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, who led the prosecution team, proposed the bail sum and asked that Lim be compelled to inform the court if he planned to travel abroad.

During mitigation, Lim’s lead counsel Gobind Singh Deo requested for the accused to be allowed to inform the court and the AG’s Chambers of this travel plans two days before departure.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Azmi Ariffin granted the request and agreed not to impound Lim’s passport, also setting bail at RM1 million with one surety.

Lim Guan Eng First Charges

Lim Guan Eng Second Charges

Phang Li Koon Charges

In the case of businesswoman Phang Li Koon, who also claimed trial to her charge, Apandi asked for bail to be set at RM200,00 with one surety and no additional conditions, which the court allowed.

Azmi later fixed September 22 for case management in chambers for both cases.

Lim and Phang are facing charges over an allegedly corrupt house purchase deal they struck last year.

Lim is facing two charges ― one under Section 23 of the MACC Act and another under Section 165 of the Penal Code.

He is accused of using his public office or position to obtain gratification for himself and his wife, Betty Chew, by approving an application by Magnificent Emblem to convert agricultural land to residential purpose during a state planning committee meeting on July 18, 2014.

Section 23 carries a jail term of not more than 20 years and a fine of five times the value of gratification or RM10,000 whichever is higher.

In the Penal Code charge, Lim is alleged to have used his position to obtain gratification by purchasing his house from Phang at RM2.8 million, which was below the property’s market value of RM4.27 million on July 28, 2015.

The second offence is punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, and forfeiture of property upon conviction.

Phang meanwhile has been charged with abetment under Section 109 of the Penal Code over the sale of the house on Jalan Pinhorn to Lim.- Reffer to Malay Mail Online

Rare Arrest of a sitting Chief Minister on Graft charges

MACC yesterday Electrified the country by making a rare arrest of a sitting chief minister on graft charges.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, a leading opposition figure, was flanked by about a dozen Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials and plainclothes policemen as he was escorted out of his office, with dozens of journalists swarming the place.

The arrest followed three months of accusations by Umno leaders that Mr Lim had benefited in buying his bungalow on Pinhorn Penang island from businesswoman Phang Li Koon, and that she was allegedly involved in business deals with the Penang state government that he leads.

The 55-year-old is secretary-general of the (DAP), the most popular ethnic Chinese party in Malaysia. The DAP won 38 seats in the federal Parliament in the 2013 General Election, forming the second-largest single bloc of MPs after Umno's 88 seats.

Penang People Has Gathered In Front of Penang MACC Building to show their love towards the Penang Chief Minister

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A large number of DAP members and supporters gathered outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here in a show of support for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng

The crowd of supporters that started arriving in small groups at 7.30pm has now swelled to over 200.

They started chanting “Bebas Guan Eng” at 9pm while some carried handwritten placards calling for Lim’s release.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng Arrested By MACC

GEORGE TOWN  - Penang CM Lim Guan Eng has been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission

The secretary general of Democratic Action Party (DAP) was arrested as he exited the conference room at 6.20pm on Wednesday (June 29) in Komtar after chairing the state's weekly exco meeting.

Five to eight plainclothes men were seen escorting Lim in a private lift from Level 28.

"The charges are under Section 23 and Section 165 of the Anti-Corruption Act.

"The first charge is about the re-zoning approval of Magnificent Emblem's application to convert agricultural land to residential.

 

Lim's purchase of the RM2.8 million (S$938,000) bungalow on July 28 last year was also linked to the state's sale of state land in Taman Manggis to Kuala Lumpur International Dental Centre (KLIDC), the New Straits Times reported.