Altantuya vs Anya: Would DPM have the guts to tell PM mere denial not enough

The DPM had amazingly stated that if the Chief Minister “thinks it is important to correct the information, then he has to come up with a strong statement…Mere denial is not enough”.

The Penang Chief Minister had rubbished this fraudulent allegation in the strongest possible terms. He had not minced his words in condemning this false allegation. In castigating the pro-Umno blogs that spread this false allegation, he had strongly condemned their nefarious conduct as “morally despicable and barbaric lies”.

The Chief Minister also challenged Umno to act against those guilty of this to prove that the party does not employ “desperate, dangerous and dirty tactics.” He also condemned several Umno leaders for highlighting “this shameful episode” in their blogs. He had referred to these characters as “pro-Umno ferocious beasts”.

Aren’t these strong words that had taken to task these unsavoury characters, dear DPM? Frankly, are these words mere denial, Mr DPM? Ask anyone and you will be told that these words are uttered with disgust and they convey a terrible outrage of a person overcome with grief and anger. These are certainly strong words that show utter contempt for these lies.

For the DPM not to know of the Chief Minister’s ferocious reactions to this false and malicious lie is unbelievable! For him not to know the truth when he made his astounding statement is also baffling.

Perverse logic, baffling statement

The principal of the school concerned – SMK Heng Ee – Mr Goh Boon Poh, had publically stated that he was shocked by the allegations that Lim Guan Eng’s son had sexually harassed a female student of the school and had dismissed this blatant lie as “completely untrue”.

Further, the alleged victim of this so-called sexual harassment had categorically stated in a statement to all the press that she has not been to Malaysia for the last seven years and that the only way in which her “modesty was outraged has been the publication of my picture in connection with these scurrilous and unfounded rumours”.

In spite of all this evidence to refute and rebut these malicious and baseless allegations, the DPM doesn’t seem to know what the truth is. His logic is perverse and his statement is baffling.

When rumours were swirling around implicating our Prime Minister as having had a dalliance with the Mongolian beauty, Altantuya, which the PM had denied, would the DPM now dare to remark, “Mere denial is not enough” – just to be consistent!

P Ramakrishnan is the president of Aliran