Penang signs pledge - and faces calls for CM to step down

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government finally inked a corruption-free pledge and almost immediately faced calls for the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s resignation over corruption charges he faces.

The state government signed the corruption-free pledge with 10 additional integrity measures with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in a ceremony at Komtar attended by Lim, executive councillors, state assemblymen and MPs, heads of departments and agencies along with public administration officers and MACC officers.

The additional measures signed by the state include the CAT (competent, accountable and transparent) policy, open competitive tenders, public declaration of assets, and full protection for genuine whistleblowers.

MACC chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad welcomed the additional integrity measures.

“It will strengthen the pledge as a whole. But the state must put their pledge and integrity measures into practice,” he said, adding that the occasion was meaningful for him.

“I am a Penangite, born in Kepala Batas,” he said.

Barely an hour later, Lim came in for attacks from Penang Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abdul Rahim who wanted him to resign, and state opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid for not inviting the state’s 10 opposition members to the ceremony.

Rafizal and several members approached Dzulkifli to hand over a memorandum urging Lim to resign.

“By signing the pledge, Lim is indirectly showing others he is clean,” he said.

MIC central working committee member J. Dhinagaran, a Penangite, said Lim should set an example by resigning from his position as Chief Minister if he was sincere about combating graft.

Lim faces corruption charges over the purchase of his bungalow in Pinhorn Road for RM2.8mil, below the market value of RM4.27mil.

On Jahara’s complaint, Lim said Umno assemblymen were not invited for the ceremony because they had failed to show up on previous occasions.

“We invited her (Jahara) many times and even invited her to sit in a committee, but she didn’t want to,” he said.

Jahara later said they would hold a corruption-free pledge session.

Kelantan will sign the anti-corruption pledge next week. Dzulkifli said the MACC had yet to receive a date from the Selangor government to sign its pledge.