Perkasa holds 'funeral rite' in front of Guan Eng's house

Susan Loone and Low Chia Ming

A group of 30 members from Malay rights pressure group Perkasa held a “funeral rite” in front of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s house in Pinhorn Road today, to show their dissatisfaction at the latter’s rule in Penang since 2008.

The group led by state Perkasa Youth chief Risuan Asuddin showed up at about 10.20am and threw posters of Lim at his front gate and placed a framed photo of him with a garland of flowers to signify his “death” to the Malay community.

The group stayed around Lim’s house for about 15 minutes to express how Lim had neglected the community before convoying to Komtar, the state’s administrative centre, where Lim’s office is situated.

Along their journey on their motorcycles, the group threw posters of Lim onto the road, before continuing their demonstration for another 15 minutes around Komtar.

Risuan, who had been very vocal against Lim and had participated in most rallies against the CM, said he was considered “dead” to the community as he had never responded to any of their queries.

He denied that the group was acting like Bersih 3.0 protesters in Kuala Lumpur on April 28 as “we are not here to create chaos”.

The most recent query by the group had been about the issue of mosque land being “made to disappear” by the state government when it sold Bayan Mutiara to a private developer, Ivory Properties Sdn Bhd.

The group had then also organised a small rally at level three, Komtar, and gave Lim a one-week ultimatum to respond to their query.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, had during a press conference and in his speech at the Penang legislative assembly, denied that any mosque land had been made to disappear by the state government.

He added that the developer will be providing a new plan of the area and would have to comply with the local council’s guidelines on land for places of worship.
Meanwhile, Lim expressed deep disappointment and regret that Perkasa had chosen to rally in front of his home.

Lim said they were the same “gangsters” who tried to disrupt an anti-Lynas rally at the Esplanade on Feb 26, where two journalists were injured.

An act of uncivilised people

Lim, who was then at a state executive councillors meeting in Komtar,  feared the “disturbances” outside his house would pose a threat to his five-year old son.

He urged the protesters to rally at Komtar if they wished to send him a message, saying they were “used to rallying” at the venue.

Lim however said wishing him death is an “act of uncivilised people”.

“Just because we have different views, it does not mean we wish people death. We have to respect their views,” he told reporters in Komtar.

“Wishing me dead is a threat to me. I am sure no religion allows this kind of behaviour,” he added.

Lim also criticised the protesters for messing up the road with their 4,000 odd posters of him with the label ‘Guan Eng anti-Melayu’.

He added that during the recent Bersih 3.0 at the Speakers Square, protesters collected the garbage and kept the field clean, unlike the Perkasa members.

He stressed that the police should know what to do, asking “if this happened at Seri Perdana (the Prime Minister’s official residence) would it be allowed?”.