Lim ready to face Zahrain in court

(Free Malaysia Today)

PENANG: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (picture) is ready to face legal action for implicating family members of Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim in the RM40 million tender to manage Bukit Jambul Golf Resort.

According to Bernama, Lim said Zahrain was unhappy for losing the tender put in by a company formed two months before tender was called in Sept 2008.

“It is up to Zahrain (picture) to sue or not. We have enough proof and are willing to take the risk for the sake of a clean government,” he said when commenting on Zahrain’s legal threat for implicating his family members in the tender.

Lim said their ties soured after a company supported by Zahrain failed to get the tender to manage Bukit Jambul Golf Resort.

“I am willing to lose a friend rather than award the tender to an unproven company that lacked credibility,” he said at a Penang DAP Chinese New Year open house here today.

Zahrain, the former Penang Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chief, could not be reached for comments on his threat to sue Lim.

Commenting on the suggestion by state opposition chief Datuk Azhar Ibrahim that minutes of the ‘Maulidur Rasul’ celebration meetings be revealed, Lim said it was a trap adding he was not responsible for religious affairs.

Azhar who is also Penang Umno secretary challenged Lim to reveal minutes of the ‘Maulidur Rasul’ meetings on Jan 19 and Feb 3 so that the truth would be known.

Lim said the ‘Maulidur Rasul’ (Prophet Muhammad) procession and other religious programmes would proceed as planned.

Meanwhile in an immediate reaction, Lim’s press secretary Cheong Yin Fah accused Bernama of “false and misleading” reporting.

“The Penang Chief Minister had never mentioned any family members of Datuk Zahrain when rebutting personal attacks made by Zahrain. He believes in replying with facts and not stoop so low with personal attacks involving family members. The Chief Minister had clearly said that his relationship with Datuk Zahrain deteriorated after he refused to accept Zahrain’s and Island Golf Properties Bhd(IGP)’s recommendation to award a RM2 company with a tender worth RM 40 million to manage the Bukit Jambul Golf Resort, ” Cheong said in a statement.

The statement also said that awarding a contract to a RM 2 company is not CAT-compliant. In the interests of Competency, Accountability and Transparency, the Penang Chief Minister was willing to lose friends and gain foes.