Photo of CM Lim's illegally parked car goes viral

A photograph depicting the Penang chief minister's official car being parked illegally is making rounds on the internet and triggering a debate about whether the chief minister has special parking privileges.

Making matters worse was the fact that the vehicle was depicted parking very near a sign warning motorists that their vehicles risk being clamped if they parked illegally.

The photograph, taken this afternoon, was widely shared on Facebook with a caption which read: "Is double line parking the privilege of PG1?"

In the comments section on some Facebook pages, BN supporters are accusing Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of being a blatant law breaker while others said critics were making a mountain out of a molehill, since parking is a headache in downtown Penang.

When contacted, Lim said that he was meeting several journalists and a guest from Hong Kong at a coffeeshop at the time.

Lim said that his driver was liable to being fined by the local government enforcers like everyone else, "if he was unlucky". 

"Anyway, I have advised him that it is not right to park illegally although he was in the car at the time," said Lim.

Lim said parking on the busy Campbell Street was hard to come by, especially during the festive seasons.

"But we don't often go to five star hotels for our coffee or when we entertain our guests," Lim said.

"Maybe we should go to hotels since we have no problem with parking in those places then."