Teng: Jho Low did a lousy job if he was involved in GE13

Penang BN chief Teng Chang Yeow has denied that 1MDB-linked business tycoon Jho Low was involved in the state coalition’s 2013 election campaign.

“If he was involved then he is a lousy strategist. We lost badly!” Teng told Malaysiakini over WhatsApp.

Teng himself was defeated in the election, when he contested for the Bukit Tengah state assembly seat.

He was responding to a Wall Street Journal report yesterday claiming that Low acted as a senior strategist for BN’s campaign to retake Penang.

According to WSJ, Low’s school friend Geh Choh Hun had organised a group called 1Malaysia Penang Welfare Club, which handed out cheques for hundreds of thousands of dollars to non-governmental groups.

“My press conference before the last general election was very clear. We have nothing to do with 1Malaysia Penang Welfare Club nor Jho Low,” Teng said.

Penang Umno assemblypersons Jaharah Hamid and Muhammad Farid Saad also denied knowing Jho Low or any knowledge of his involvement in the GE13 campaign, when contacted by Malaysiakini.

Asked how BN’s electoral funding worked, Teng said each party would manage its own funds, while BN took care of publicity work.

Asked how much Gerakan candidates received, Teng replied: “Within the law.”

Gerakan’s candidate for the Padang Kota state seat, Oh Tong Keong, said he had received RM80,000 from his division’s accounts during the 2013 polls, but denied it was linked to Jho Low.

“I did not get so-called Jho Low’s money la. Not a single sen... I never got (money) from 1Malaysia-Penang Welfare club either.

“I used BN-provided electoral funds only,” he said when contacted.

Oh, however, said he did get in touch with 1Malaysia-Penang Welfare club chief Geh.

“Yeah I did get in touch with his assistant to help my constituency NGO la... but did not get anything,” Oh said.

The 1Malaysia Penang Welfare Club claims it began operating in June 2012, but only came to the forefront in April 2013.

That’s when the club started hosting charity events, just a month before the 13th general election.

At one such event, attended by Low himself, a total of RM2.2 million in donations were given out to 103 NGOs, as well as three journalists’ organisations in Penang. -Mkini