We will quit if Umno chief proves PPS spending, says Guan Eng

The Penang government will resign if the state Umno chief can prove that the administration spent over a billion ringgit on the voluntary patrol unit (PPS), said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Lim lamented the continuous "lies and slander spread by the authorities" against his administration and PPS of late.

He said the latest was a Thursday report on Umno Online, quoting Penang Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman as saying the state government spent RM1.5 billion on PPS.

He said if such an accusation is ever proven true, his whole government would resign with him retiring from politics.

"All of us will resign. RM1.5 billion? Where do we have RM1.5 billion? Our reserve only has RM1.2 billion. We now challenge him to prove this RM1.5 billion allegation," he told reporters in Butterworth today.

Lim and his state government have been under fire over the PPS, which federal authorities have regarded as illegal as it was never registered with the Registrar of Societies.

He also said he was used to personal attacks.

"If Zainal wants to make personal attacks, I will just shut my eyes. It is normal. When Umno does not have political capital or issues, its politicians will make personal attacks.

"But to say that I want to raise a private army, it is a vicious slander. PPS members carry no weapons. They are only equipped with walkie-talkies for communication use.

"He also said the entire cost invested on the unit is RM1.5 billion. That is the most vicious slander of all."

Lim said the state would be bankrupted if it had spent over a billion ringgit on the unit.

"The Auditor-General would have traced the money. Don't make such statements."

He said hopefully Zainal could answer the challenge in three days.

"We give him some time (to do the math), in case his Mathematics is not good."

Lim said the slander had also included allegations that the unit was an illegal organisation just because it was set up by the state government, and that the state was challenging the police.

"When we set the unit up four years ago, the PPS aided the police in emergency response and community policing programmes.

"We all know the best way to combat crime is through community policing, where the people help to take care of their own housing areas.

"For four years, there has been no problem until now. It is very clear that this is a political attack against the Pakatan Rakyat state until we can now be accused of spending RM1.5 billion on the unit," he said.

Lim said they would wait to see if the authorities would also move in on PAS's volunteer corps Unit Amal.

Meanwhile, Lim also announced that state environment exco Phee Boon Poh will be representing the Penang government to a United Nations conference on the environment in Brazil.

"He is leaving tonight and will be back on September 14. Don't say he ran away or anything like that. He is representing Penang at the conference.”

He said as far as the PPS issue was concerned, Phee had done his part and the state was now waiting for the authorities to make the next step.

Phee was arrested by the police for his involvement in the unit, of which he is the chairperson.

The veteran DAP rep is also being investigated for sedition in relation to a Malaysiakini article last week, which quoted him as saying that he was "treated like a criminal" by the police during his detention.

- TMI