'Umno would suspend Guan Eng if he was party member'

If Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was an Umno member, he would have been automatically suspended from all his party and government posts after he was charged with corruption.

Newly-appointed Housing, Urban Wellbeing and Local Government Minister Noh Omar claimed this was because Umno is a party that respects the law.

“You (Umno members) have problems with the law, you settle it in court. When any of our leader is charged in court, they would be automatically suspended from all positions.

“We said it, we do it. But they (the DAP) are different,” Noh told Malaysiakini at an interview at his Tanjung Karang Umno division office.

The Tanjung Karang MP said Umno does not want to be implicated in legal problems faced by its leaders, citing the example of the corruption charge against former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo.

“Because we say, (it's) your problem, don’t involve the party. You have a problem, you face it in court. You prove it in court.

“If you are found to be innocent, then you can come back to us,” said Noh, who is also Selangor Umno liaison chief.

Mohamad Khir was sentenced to 12 months’ jail in September last year for using his position to obtain two plots of land and a bungalow in Shah Alam worth RM6.5 million for himself and his wife.

In March, the former state opposition leader was released on parole after spending six months in jail and was placed under house arrest for another two months before he was finally released.

Double standard

Noh criticised the DAP and the opposition for their perceived double standard in defending Lim who is facing two charges of corruption.

Unlike Umno, Noh claimed that the opposition often acted as if its leaders are "untouchables" and above the law.

“They asked others to resign but when it comes to their own leader…? Where is their dignity? Do they not feel ashamed? Do you see their double standard?”

Noh said that Lim should state his defence in court rather than in the public arena.

BN critics had called on DAP to practise what it preaches, given its demands for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to resign over the state investment arm 1MDB and RM2.6 billion scandals.

The DAP central executive committee (CEC) yesterday convened an emergency meeting and unanimously decided that there was no need for Lim to take leave pending the outcome of his trial.

DAP acting national chairperson Tan Kok Wai said this was because the CEC believed the charges were completely baseless and an attempt to topple the democratically-elected chief minister of Penang as well as to destabilise the party.

On Thursday, Lim claimed trial in the Penang High Court to two corruption charges - one under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act and another under Section 165 of the Penal Code.

The charges are over his approval of an application by Magnificent Emblem Sdn Bhd to convert a piece of land from agricultural to residential purpose, as well for his purchase of a bungalow from businesswoman Phang Li Koon at RM2.8 million at below the property's market value of RM4.27 million. - Mkini