Earlier dissolution of Penang legislative assembly inappropriate

The early dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) to enable the state election to be held following the corruption charge faced by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is inappropriate and will only be a waste of state funds.

State UMNO Liaison chairman Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman said the case faced by Lim only involved alleged malpractice by the chief minister personally and not the state government.

"It is inappropriate that millions of ringgit of public funds are spent to hold a referendum merely because Lim does not want to go on leave or relinquish his chief minister's post although he is facing a corruption charge in court.

"Why should Lim and the state government drag the people in the corruption case he was facing whereas there is ample space provided by the country's judicial system and court for him to prove his innocence?" he said in a press statement here today.

Zainal Abidin said this following a claim in the social media that the Penang DAP government was considering a suggestion to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly following the corruption charge faced by the chief minister recently.

Zainal Abidin also described the suggestion as a political ploy by the DAP and Pakatan Harapan to divert public opinion away from the corruption case allegedly involving the chief minister.

"The premature dissolution of the State Assembly is usually carried out by a chief minister who is facing a crisis of confidence.

"Is there a possibility that Lim feels he has lost the confidence of the majority of the State Assemblymen from the pact and needs to dissolve the State Assembly?" he asked.

He said the state election or referendum was not the decider whether Lim was guilty or otherwise. Instead, it would only be decided by a trial in court.

On June 30, Lim pleaded not guilty at the Penang High Court here on two corruption charges relating to the conversion of an agricultural zone to a residential zone and the purchase of a plot of land and bungalow that was below market value.

Also charged was the former owner of the bungalow, Phang Li Koon, who also claimed trial to the charge of abetting lim to obtain for himself the plot of land and bungalow at the same place and on the same date.

Lim was detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on June 29 on the 28th floor of Komtar building at 5.45pm, while Phang was detained at 4.15pm at her office on the 6th Floor, Penang Garden.