Another 'leaky' bid to discredit Guan Eng

A pro-MCA website, Souminews, has posted on YouTube andFacebook an audio recording that it has provocatively titled ‘Revealing Lim Guan Eng & Cheong Yin Fan's secret audio recording', sparking a security probe within the Penang Chief Minister's Office.

It was however found that the audio recording is no secret conversation between the Penang chief minister and his female press officer - it is in fact a recording from a press conference held by Lim on July 18.

"Journalists who covered the event will have a copy of the audio, which recorded the conversation between me and the CM," said Cheong.

"It was on the allocation for Chinese education. The chief minister is not facing any crisis over this (matter)," she added in a statement yesterday.

Cheong explained that on the morning of July 18, Lim was invited to attend the Shared Services & Outsourcing Conference 2012, organised by Invest Penang at the E&O Hotel.

After the event, he held a press briefing to rebut Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's remark that BN was "fair" in its allocations to all schools.

"During the press conference, Lim wanted me to get the figures referred to by the DPM. Since the figures published in the newspapers were incomplete, he asked for a 100 percent accurate figure before he could reply," Cheong said in her statement.

Conversation in Chinese

She said the conversation between the CM and her was not "secret" as Lim's instruction was conveyed to her in front of all others who were present, including the media.

"The content of the conversation I had with the CM is the same to the one described as ‘secret' by Souminews," she said.

The five-minute YouTuberecordingfeatures the conversation in Mandarin between Lim and Cheong on the allocation for Chinese schools.

Lim is heard asking Cheong to find out more details on the allocation.

The unidentified individual who leaked the audio claimed the recording is a "secret conversation" between Lim and Cheong to "plot and twist" details on BN's allocation to Chinese schools.

The individual also tried to imply that the two have an "unusual" relationship.

'Gutter politics' 

According to Invest Penang, about 10 journalists were present at the press conference, of whom two were photographers - six from the Chinese press and two from English language dailies.

"After the recording was uploaded on Facebook, many - government officers, party leaders and supporters - have expressed concerned over the CM's privacy and his office security," Cheong said.

"Therefore, I would like to clarify that the recording is not taped or (that the CM's office was) bugged by someone, but it was sold to the pro-MCA website by certain pro-BN media practitioners as a so-called ‘explosive information' to sow panic.

"What the chief minister warned his party members in DAP is proven correct - the pro-BN forces are using gutter politics to wrest power in Penang."

Last month, an audio recording of Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman describing Lim as "cocky, arrogant and tokong (a deity)" was leaked to the public. Mansor was speaking about seat allocations in the upcoming general election at a closed-door PKR meeting.

Allegations of Lim having an extra-marital affair with a former staff, who has since resigned from his office, have also been circulated on the Internet.

Lim has denied the allegations and the former staff member said to be involved has refused to comment on the matter.