IPOH, Jan 31 – Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (pic) finally broke his silence today over the spat between him and Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohd Hashim, saying the PKR Bayan Baru MP could choose to “burn bridges if he wants to”. Zahrain had called Lim a “dictator, a chauvinist and communist-minded”, inviting brickbats from his party and allies DAP who said the former Penang PKR chief is “politically-frustrated”.“But what we would like to know is whether there are any other Penang leaders who wish to support Zahrain on this ... let us wait and see, “ Lim told reporters here after initially dismissing the issue. He added that “everything that needs to be said has already been said” and that he did not need to comment further on the issue. “You know this was something that just came out of the blue. However, we know the reasons behind it.“I feel that since we have already addressed those real reasons behind this, it is best that we just wait for further developments. Let us wait for him to respond and for PKR to decide,” he said. The simmering feud between Lim and Zahrain began last year over the post of the Deputy Chief Minister I, which was reserved for PKR in the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government. Anwar picked Dr Mansor Othman for the post after the latter won the Penanti by-election and also named him to replace Zahrain as state PKR chief.DAP said Lim’s decision to have another tender exercise for the management of the state-owned Bukit Jambul Golf and Country Club also riled Zahrain, who had endorsed a RM2 company that is allegedly run by his son. Matters came to a head this week when Zahrain criticised Lim as unfit to be chief minister, leading to speculation he was also walking out of his party to rejoin Umno. Zahrain has denied the speculation, saying that his open criticism of Lim was merely a reminder to Pakatan Rakyat leaders of its original resolve to push for reform.
The PKR supreme council, along with leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today convened a meeting to discuss Zahrain’s outburst and decided to haul him up before the party disciplinary board. Meanwhile, Lim also admitted today that since the furore erupted in the media, he had not been in touch with the Bayan Baru MP but insisted that even if the defection rumours were true, the Penang government would not be affected. He also blamed the Barisan Nasional for creating speculation and media tales that the pact was fraying.
“One swallow does not make a summer. Of course, the media will try to create a sense of crisis and that is what the BN wants to achieve.” Lim added that the Penang government was not in crisis and confidently noted that “all the PR assemblymen stand together”. He pointed out that Zahrain was an MP and not an assemblyman.“To show my confidence in my colleagues, I will, in fact, be making a short trade mission tomorrow to Korea,” said Lim. “This has been planned some time ago and I will proceed with it.”
Malaysian Insider
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