SB never sent reports on state reps, says Guan Eng

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng says the Special Branch (SB) has never provided him with reports on the performance of elected representatives in the state.

"Clearly such practice of providing reports to the chief minister on the performance of elected representatives and their electoral chances, as exposed by former Penang state exco member Toh Kin Woon in the Bersih People's Tribunal, has been discontinued by the police after Pakatan Rakyat took over (in 2008)," he said in a statement today.

Lim's denial came after Toh (right) testified at the tribunal on Saturday that the SB had provided the reports to the chief minister, in his capacity as the state security council chief.

The information was then disseminated to BN elected representatives, including Toh, who were in power at the time.

"It serves as very useful feedback on certain areas where we need to improve, or if certain people are unhappy with us because we seem too arrogant and cocky and need to improve our manners...

"This is useful feedback available only to members of the state assembly, and maybe Parliament, of the ruling coalition only," he told the tribunal.

Lim, the chief minister since Pakatan won the state in 2008, said he chairs monthly state public order and security council meetings, which is attended by the state police chief.

However, he said only crime was ever discussed at the meetings and the state has no access to information to the performance of any elected representative.

"These council meetings serve a useful joint anti-crime effort that has succeeded in making Penang one of the safest cities in Malaysia with the highest reduction in crime index for five years consecutively since 2008...

"The more than eight percent rise in crime for the first five months of the year has been reduced to 3.3 percent by September this year," he said.

He added that the monthly meetings continue because it is useful in collaborating with various agencies to tackle crime.