PENANG, 25 June 2009: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has denied allegations that elderly folk in the state were asked to fill aid forms with the condition that they were DAP members.
Lim Lim, who is also the party’s secretary-general, said his party had never laid down that condition, and that the forms also did not require the elderly to state their party affiliation to get aid.
He said state opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim’s actions in relation to the allegations were slanderous towards the state government.
“He (Azhar) should not commit slander as the form has nothing to do with the DAP, and it is issued with the state insgnia and not the DAP logo,” Lim told reporters here today.
He said he wanted Azhar to prove the allegation as reported in the media today or retract his statement and apologise if he could not.
Meanwhile, Lim said the state government would help 300 residents of Kampung Lorong Buah Pala here who have to move out of their homes after failing to get leave to appeal a Court of Appeal ruling.
“A committee has been set up headed by Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman to help and find a resolution,” he said.
Yesterday, the efforts of 45 families to retain their village homes ended after their application for leave to appeal the Court of Appeal ruling was rejected by the Federal Court.
Judges Datuk Seri S. Augustine Paul, Datuk Hashim Yusoff and Datuk Wira Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusoff unanimously rejected the application. — Bernama
Thomas Lee says
Such types of allegations should not be let off lightly. The person who made the allegation and the paper that published it should be charged with reporting “false news” under the Printing Presses and Publications Act.
Guan Eng was charged for making “false news” and jailed simply because he used the word “detained” about a girl, whom the authorities said was never detained.
Basing on Guan Eng’s case, the person who made the false allegation against the Penang state government and the DAP should similarly be charged with making “false news”.