Go for me as much as you want, but leave my family alone, says Guan Eng

Guan Eng at the Sessions Court on last Friday to face a charge of soliciting gratification to help a company to secure the Penang undersea tunnel project. – Bernama file photo

KUCHING: Lim Guan Eng, who is facing a charge from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), is asking his political foes to leave his family alone.

In a statement issued as a family man, he told his political foes to come after him as much as they wanted but leave his family alone.

“The shocking arrest of my wife, in connection to me, is the latest challenge my family has to endure. My family has suffered from my involvement in politics when I was in opposition from 1986 to 2008.

“From having to visit me when I was detained under Internal Security Act in 1987 or imprisoned in Kajang in 1998 for defending an underaged Malay rape victim, they had to undergo deprivation and pressures not experienced by other families,” he said in a statement today.

Last Thursday, Lim, who is former finance minister, was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for allegedly solicited a bribe, namely a reward in the form of 10 per cent of the profits that would be obtained later, as a fee to help a company to be appointed to carry out construction of the main roads and tunnels in the Penang undersea tunnel project during his tenure as the chief minister of Penang in 2011.

Lim’s wife Betty Chew was arrested by MACC last Friday and would be charged at the Butterworth court in Penang tomorrow (Aug 11) under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act.

According to Lim, his familiy continued to suffer even when he was elected as the chief minister of Penang in 2008.

He recalled that in 2011, his then 15-year-old son was attacked by an Umno Youth leader, who accused him of sexually molesting his female classmate in his school in Penang.

“At such a tender age facing the lies and accusations of the entire BN (Barisan Nasional) media machinery, he suffered and I felt helpless for being unable to protect him as a father.

“Even though the ‘alleged victim’, school principal and the Penang Education Department denied such an incident took place, no action was taken by the police against the Umno Youth leader for spreading such despicable lies,” he said.

In March this year, he said the same Umno Youth leader again spread false news that his son was arrested in Singapore International Airport for trying to smuggle in RM2 million cash and that Lim flew in to Singapore to secure his release.

“The Inspector-General of Police said no such arrest was made in Singapore and I had not left for Singapore during that period.

“In a written parliamentary (reply) to me last week, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the Royal Malaysia Police had opened an investigation paper into the matter under Section 505 of the Penal Code distributing statements that cause public mischief and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for misusing network facilities,” pointed out Lim.

He said the reply also stated that the investigation had been completed and was forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) on May 13 this year.

He added that no charges had been filed by AGC against the Umno Youth leader for the last three months.

“In contrast, my wife Betty Chew will be charged for money laundering on Aug 11, only four days after recording her statement and arresting her on Aug 7,” he said.

He said Chew did not understand why she was charged for money laundering when, as a lawyer, her income was derived from her legal fees.

“I have felt helpless in failing to protect my children. Now I feel equally helpless in failing to protect my wife.

“To our political enemies out there, ‘Go for me as much as you want, but leave my family alone!’,” Lim concluded.

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