DAP claims premeditated plot to smear Guan Eng's wife

Five Malacca DAP assemblypersons claimed that the state assembly speaker and an MCA state assemblyperson have conspired with two TV stations and a Malay daily to smear the good name of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, his wife Betty Chew and the Penang state government.

Together with four other DAP representatives, Chew, who is also DAP assemblyperson for Kota Laksamana, condemned speaker Othman Mohamad and Duyong assemblyperson Gan Tian Loo in the state assembly today.

The four are Khoo Poay Tiong (Ayer Keroh), Lim Jak Wong (Bachang), Goh Leong San (Kesidang) and Tey Kok Kiew (Bandar Hilir).

They claimed Othman had allowed the crew of two TV stations - one is government-owned and the other is private-owned - and a photographer of a Malay daily to record and photograph Gan’s attack against Lim and Chew in the state assembly yesterday.

“The cameras were focussed on Chew, especially during Gan’s speech to smear Chew (right in photo), Lim and the Penang state government in the 8pm evening news last night and today’s Utusan Malaysia front page,” they said in a joint statement today.

Utusan Malaysia is owned by Umno. The two TV stations were not named.

Yesterday Gan, while debating the motion to condemn the Bersih 3.0 rally, urged Chew to answer questions related to the transfer of a female staff member in her husband’s office. 

Chew refused to respond despite being pressed several times by Gan, and instead challenged Gan to repeat the allegations outside the assembly. However, Gan did not do so.

The joint statement said the ‘conspiracy’ by Othman and Gan had degraded the state assembly from a venue to express and discuss the people’s issues into a political tool.

“It is obvious that BN would do anything to reclaim Penang and attack DAP. It even used Gan to attack Chew, a female politician, to revive MCA’s reputation within the Chinese community,” said the five representatives.

Gan’s “despicable” abuse of his immunity in the state assembly to attack DAP will not be condoned by the Malacca Chinese community, they claimed.

“As a state exco member, a husband, father and son, how could Gan make such a statement to insult Lim and his wife? He has abused his privilege in the state assembly to play up a personal issue to attack Chew.”

They again challenged Gan to repeat his allegations outside the state assembly to prove he is a responsible politician.

“Otherwise he is just another accomplice of BN’s thuggery and political clowning.”