Lim a hypocrite of the highest order?

Athi Shankar

Parti Cinta Malaysia hits out at Penang CM for failing to walk his talk on promoting democractic space for all Malaysians

GEORGE TOWN: Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-president Huan Cheng Guan hit out at Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for his “double standard, double talk and double speak”.

Huan cited the Speakers’ Square and Penang’s Freedom of Information (FoI) Enactment as examples of Lim failing to walk his talk to promote democratic space for people of Penang.

At the official launching of the Speakers’ Square on May 4, 2010, Huan recalled Lim declaring it as a platform for democracy for all Malaysians.

Lim said that the Square was for citizens to hold gatherings and candle-light vigils, peaceful demonstrations, and other forms of artistic expression and to exercise their rights.

The DAP secretary general, had declared: “We hope this will give us the most important freedom of all, which is the freedom from fear.”

In practice, however, Huan claimed that the freedom of expression seemed only for speakers who favour the chief minister, not for opposition leaders.

He was commenting on Lim’s supposed threat to take action on Barisan Nasional local leaders for allegedly flouting laws by holding illegal rallies at the Speakers’ Square last weekend.

One condition for the use of Speakers’ Square is that all speakers were prohibited from using loudspeakers, megaphones and any other public address systems.

Lim, the Bagan MP, allegedly threatened to use the law against BN state youth leaders for using the equipments over the weekend.

But Huan said a DAP ‘guardian’ among the audience had used a louder hailer to barrack BN state youth head Oh Tong Keong when he began his “Penang For Sale” talk.

“Who sets rules only to break the rules? Who is the hypocrite who denies people their right to speak and to peaceful assembly when it suits him?” asked Huan.

Smokescreens

Huan said Lim had criticised the amended Section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950 and the new Peaceful Assembly Act 2011 as worse than the Police Act.

Huan also hit out at Lim’s FoI and CAT policy to promote competency, accountability and transparency as mere smokescreens.

He said that Lim had barred certain media and journalists critical of him, sued them for defamation and threatened reporters who dared to write on the sex allegations against him.

“The Speakers’ Square, FoI and CAT appear to be mere shadow play. This is ideal but is reality anywhere close to such idealistic talk?” he asked.

Huan said PCM was appalled at the Pakatan Rakyat government’s double standard, double talk and double speak.

Huan also said that Lim had infringed the Local Government Act 1976 which states that the council president had to be a councillor.

However, Huan said Lim persisted in appointing Patahiyah Ismail as the island council (MPPP) president despite the fact that the 24 councillor posts had already been filled.

“So, who bent the rules to suit his whims and fancies? Who seems to be above legislation?” he asked.

He also criticised Lim for name-calling his opponents and consistently blaming the previous BN government to evade responsibility and accountability on ‘everything and anything.’

“Penangites should stop regarding this hypocrite as a tokong (diety). They should wake up before he betrays Penangites by selling state land or whatever that can be sold,” he said.