Now is the time for the opposition to show that they walk the talk.
This week, we see Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng embroiled in a furore over the purchase of a RM2.8 million bungalow at Jalan Pinhorn, Green Lane, Penang.
Apparently, LGE has not been popular with journalists in the peninsula. I watched a video of his press conference in the parliament foyer shortly after he was accused by Umno MP for Tasek Geugor, Datuk Shabudin Yahaya, of buying a house below market value which is allegedly linked to the 2012 sale of a Penang government-owned land to a private developer to build a specialist hospital.
Lim read a statement and did not allow any queries. When a journalist tried to ask question, Lim brushed him off with a rather rude gesture, before rasping: “Can you let me finish?”
It’s quite obvious, in this instance, that “Can you let me finish” means “Let me finish first, and you ask later.”
But straight after finishing his statement, Lim gathered himself and left without giving the journalist a chance to pose the question.
Judging from this less-than-graceful act, this chief minister, although well-liked by his supporters here in my homeland, is found wanting when it comes to that rare but very important virtue, clearly spelt out in the famous chapter of Galatians of the Holy Book – patience. Over the course of recent events, Lim has further shown he lacks patience which is listed as the fourth fruit of the spirit in dealing with the issues at hand.
He hastily prepared a statement, read it to the press and threw a challenge for a one-on-one meeting (possibly over coffee) to Shabudin in his (Lim’s) office. He invited journalists for a tour of his house to prove that he is not living in luxury and challenged the other chief ministers to open their homes to the media as what he has done.
We must commend him for doing one thing right – urging the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate quickly.
It’s something we have not seen done by other politicians accused of corruption or abuse of power.
A statutory declaration from the “willing seller” consistent with Lim’s claim of “willing seller willing buyer”, seems to have raised more questions than it hopes to answer.
A friend with accounting background said the willing seller should be able to clear more than half of the accusations and speed up the work of MACC if she could substantiate her declaration with relevant documents. These would include, but not limited to, the sales option agreement and the proof of payments of RM100,000 and RM700,000 from Lim, and probably also the RM2.1 million from the bank to show genuine transactions.
Despite calls for Lim to go on leave to allow MACC to exhaustively investigate the corruption allegations, he has refused to budge on the ground the alleged exposé is likely part of a political conspiracy and that he has no influence over MACC.
By pointing out that other national and state leaders such as the Prime Minister and the late Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat were never told to go on leave under similar circumstances, Lim has actually opened himself and his party comrades to doubts whether they are really serious about fulfilling their sworn pledge to walk the talk in fighting corruption.
It is like a child bargaining with its parents – if big brother can do it, why can’t I? Also, why is the big sister not punished for the same wrong deed?
Yes, now is the time for the people who have been championing the cause of transparency and accountability to do what they have been preaching. They should not allow Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali to liken them to the pot calling the kettle black!
The Malay rights NGO chief had said embattled Lim was like the pot calling the kettle black by his refusing to go on leave or step down while MACC investigates the allegations against him.
“Lim must show consistency in fighting corruption or abuse of power. His refusal to take leave or step down only makes him look like some people who don’t do as they say or are hypocritical. Is Lim like the proverbial pot calling the kettle black?” Ibrahim asked.
Now is the time for Lim to establish standards of absolute values and ethics in order to make credible moral judgments.
I like the analogy of a preacher who said there are no grey areas in life — a thing is either black (a lie) or white (the truth) – and while there are no grey areas, there may be a mingling of black with white.
The preacher pointed out that the world is riding on what are called “situation ethics.” He said if the boss sees you take 50 cents from the petty cash drawer, then obviously, you have disgraced yourself and the company’s name, having been caught red-handed, and that is wrong. But if you do it without getting caught, it is all right.
In another example, this preacher said: “If you borrow a book from your buddy and when you have finished reading it, you put it in your own library. Later, as you are running around with the gang, the buddy suggests to you that you steal a sports car in the parking lot. You look at him in horror. What kind of a guy do you think I am? I only steal books!”
“Situation ethics” make it possible for some groups to consistently call for others to take leave over 2.6 billion and then turn to each other and say: “Hey, 2.6 billion can buy many 2.8 million bungalows.”
Lim and those championing accountability and transparency should not lump right and wrong together to conveniently smooth over the difference between truth and error.
Now is the time.