Let’s think before we talk about feng shui and friendship

Teresa Kok's reasoning of feng shui and friendship as possible reasons behind the bungalow sale are not doing Lim Guan Eng any favours.

COMMENT

By T K Chua

For those who have read my past commentaries on Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his bungalow purchase, they know my views by now. To prove impropriety, the authorities must show quid pro quo which involved Lim as the CM of Penang. If Lim has done a “personal favour” (a favour not in his official capacity) which triggered a reciprocal deed from the previous owner, I don’t think that is strictly corruption or abuse of power for a public official.

But this is not what I want to dwell on today.

If in the past we viewed the government’s explanations on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the political donation as absurd and irrational, I think Teresa Kok showed the same level of absurdity in her speech at the People’s Congress in Shah Alam yesterday.

For goodness sake, can we think before we speak? Second, can we have a unified and true explanation of Lim’s bungalow purchase rather than indulging in endless postulations?

I am completely annoyed by the way the bungalow issue has been handled thus far even though there could be absolutely nothing wrong with its purchase. As I see it, it is unthoughtful explanations that are making the situation worse.

Kok was not doing Lim any favours when she said bad “feng shui” could very well be the reason why the bungalow was sold at below market price. I think Kok must first ascertain that she is a “modern” parliamentarian, not a feng sui believer or practitioner. We laughed at the coconut bomoh in KLIA, did we not?

Not everyone believes in feng sui or how it works. Did the previous owner talk about feng sui and want to dispose of the property quickly? Second, I don’t think we can venture an explanation that was “indeterminable” and unproven. Can Kok see the irony here: the previous owner is a believer of feng shui while Lim is not? Otherwise how can the deal have taken place?

I also find her “friendship” explanation equally bizarre. Can we confidently determine the “value” of friendship? Sometimes we cannot even count on our relatives or neighbours to do us a favour.

Maybe some people are willing to sacrifice a couple of millions for the sake of friendship. Again, this is very subjective and indeterminable. I would prefer not to use it unless we can prove that the previous owner has sold the house out of admiration, friendship or affection for Lim. Otherwise, just let the authorities prove whatever needs to be proven.

If Kok is willing to sell her house to Mat Sabu or Zaid Ibrahim without profit or for a couple of million less than its worth, it proves nothing that the previous owner of Lim’s house was willing to do the same.

T K Chua is an FMT reader.