Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called for fair treatment to be accorded to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng after the latter was charged with corruption.
He also agreed with Lim’s claim that the charges were politically motivated.
“We are inclined to think so,” he said when quizzed during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur this evening.
Mahathir also hoped the former finance minister would not be discriminated against.
“He is being charged, he has not yet been tried nor has he been found guilty. So we hope (that the) treatment must be the same for everyone.
“You can't have special treatment for this person and not for this person. Discrimination like that is not justice. I think he will face the trial and we (will) see how he is treated,” he added.
Earlier today, Lim was charged for allegedly soliciting bribes in relation to the RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel project.
He has pleaded not guilty and claimed the charges against him are politically motivated to tarnish his reputation.
“Let me state that this is a baseless allegation and politically motivated to tarnish my reputation as an opposition MP.
“I want to stress that we don't practice corruption. We fight corruption,” he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex.
Lim is expected to face additional charges at the Penang Sessions Court on Monday next week in relation to the tunnel project, and more charges on Tuesday for a different case.
The MACC has yet to specify the details of the charges on Tuesday.
However, sources at MACC have told Malaysiakini that the commission has detained Lim’s wife Betty Chew and businesspersons Phang Li Koon.
Lim and Phang were previously charged for corruption in 2016, where Lim was accused of purchasing a house from Phang at below market value in 2015 when he was the Penang chief minister.
He was also charged with abusing his power as Penang chief minister by re-zoning a plot of land that was eventually acquired by Magnificient Emblem Sdn Bhd, a company linked to Phang, who was charged with abetment.
Both were acquitted of the 2016 charges in 2018 after the prosecution withdrew charges, which the MACC described as “shocking”.
An application to review the acquittal at the Court of Appeal was supposed to be heard in February but was disrupted by the political crisis following the Sheraton Move. - Mkini
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