A
dinner in Singapore attended by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng two months
ago is now the subject of controversy after a Malay supremacy group asked if Mr
Lim dined with top People's Action Party (PAP) leaders and discussed "'top
secrets".
"Malaysians have the right to question
where their loyalty lies," Mr Ruslan Kasim, information chief of Perkasa,
was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times on Sunday.
In response, Mr Lim told The Straits Times
yesterday he had attended several meetings and dinners in Singapore as part of
an investment and tourism trip in August. He declined to say who attended,
saying it would be a breach of privacy.
Mr Lim, who is now in his fourth year as
Penang's chief minister, was promoting the advantages of his state, which has
seen a recent economic boom.
In recent weeks, Mr Lim, who is also chief of
the Democratic Action Party (DAP), part of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat
alliance, has come under increasing attacks from his political rivals as
Malaysia gears up for an upcoming general election, expected within a year.
"I am being pilloried for being close to
Singapore," he said. "What's wrong with having good ties with other
governments?" He added that if he had met PAP leaders, it would have been
on a government-to-government basis, and not party to party.
"What's offensive is that they questioned
my loyalty," he said. "I'm not going to bow down to this lynch
mob."
The PAP declined to comment.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin
Yassin in turn told Perkasa not to "jump the gun", saying it was
normal for Malaysian politicians and businessmen to meet PAP politicians to
discuss bilateral issues or business ties.
"As a Barisan Nasional representative, I
often meet PAP representatives to discuss various issues," he said at a
press conference on Sunday after a Joint Seminar Games for Malaysia and
Singapore Public Sector Leaders here.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin is set to make an official
visit to Singapore later this month.
Some Malays continue to view Singapore with
suspicion, though Malaysia's ties with Singapore have warmed considerably since
Prime Minister Najib Razak took office in 2004.
"Chinese from Malaysia and Singapore may
see themselves as cousins, but for Malays on this side of the Causeway,
Singapore is at most a neighbour with whom they occasionally squabble over the
fence," wrote Ms Joceline Tan, in her column in The Star on Sunday.
Perkasa's latest statement comes amid an
ongoing flap over Mr Lim's alleged statement at a recent lunch with the Foreign
Correspondents Association of Singapore about the high crime rate in Johor,
compared to Penang.
Mr Lim was castigated for allegedly running
down his country while abroad, and accused of being overly close to Singapore.
He has not denied or confirmed if he criticised Johor's crime record.
Mr Ruslan alleged that on Aug 12, Mr Lim
attended a dinner in Singapore with prominent Malaysian businessman Kalimullah
Hassan and top PAP leaders.
Mr Kalimullah is a former journalist with The
Straits Times who later founded the ECM Libra financial group with two
partners.
Mr Ruslan said Mr Kalimullah had previously
arranged several meetings between the Chinese-dominated DAP and the PAP. In a
statement to the New Straits Times, Mr Kalimullah said he "categorically
denied the entire allegation by Perkasa'.
Carolyn Hong
The Straits Times
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