Utusan claims conspiracy in Singapore MPs’ Penang visit

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

April 08, 2012

Lim’s visits to Singapore were held up by Utusan Malaysia as evidence of a DAP-PAP pact. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Utusan Malaysia today accused DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng of meeting up with 30 Singaporean MPs to strengthen his party’s ties with the island republic’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

The Umno daily’s editors, using the Awang Selamat pseudonym, wrote that the Singaporean MPs met Lim in Penang “a few days ago” and questioned why Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) media organs did not give this any coverage.

“Awang wants to ask, what is the purpose of this visit? Is it to do with strengthening ties between the Penang DAP government and PAP Singapore?” the Umno paper asked.

It reminded readers that DAP and PAP had “historical ties” that began when Singapore was still a part of Malaysia over 40 years ago.

“DAP was formed to replace PAP which was under Lee Kuan Yew at the time, when Singapore left Malaysia in 1965.

“This is one of the reasons PAP wanted to control the country’s politics and go against Malay rights... the Malaysian Malaysia concept which was Kuan Yew’s idea was kept alive by DAP,” claimed Awang.

Awang stressed that DAP-PAP ties are at its most “strategic” stage today, saying that proof of this was Penang Chief Minister Lim’s “frequent” visits to Singapore.

“If this true, Awang is puzzled, what is the agenda... what else is this for, (except) to take care of PAP’s feelings, if we know the game they are playing.”