Karpal to Guan Eng: Call off debate

The DAP national chairman says MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek is an unworthy and improper opponent for the Penang chief minister.

GEORGE TOWN: DAP national chairman Karpal Singh wants the party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to call off his debate with MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

Karpal said the Penang chief minister should not lock horns with someone like Chua, who has been a dishonourable man for having “acted” in an embarrassing pornographic video.

“Chua is an unworthy and improper opponent for Lim. Lim is above Chua.

“I call upon Lim not to debate with Chua,” he told reporters here today. This is the first time he has come to the defence of embattled Lim, who currently faces allegation of having a sexual affair with a former female staff.

The two-hour Lim-Chua Debate 2.0 titled “DAP & MCA: Whose policies benefit the community better” will be held in English at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre in Petaling Jaya.

The debate is organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli).

It would cover policies on education, healthcare, economic prosperity, community service, national unity, public welfare and poverty alleviation.

The first debate between the two leaders, held on Feb 18, was conducted in Mandarin on the topic: “Is the two-party system becoming a two-race system?”.

On the current public spat between Lim and Chua, Karpal said the MCA president should not try to use his open admission of guilt for acting in the sex video as a weapon to attack others.

He said he had publicly spoken out in admiration of Chua’s courage to admit that he was the person featured in the video with an unknown woman.

‘Charge Soi Lek’

But Karpal said he had advised Chua to retire gracefully from politics after he had been shamelessly exposed by his own people.

Karpal had also called on others to leave the MCA leader alone to get on with his life.

However, Chua did not retire from politics but has returned as an elected MCA president, something that Karpal cannot accept.

“I’m compelled to state publicly that Chua is the last person to use a sex scandal surrounding him as a weapon to attack others,” he said.

He said he cannot imagine Chua returning to Parliament as an elected representative or minister after he was literally caught on camera with his pants down.

He called on the Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to charge Chua with “committing sexual act against order of nature” under Section 377b of the Penal Code, as evidently shown in contents of his sex video.

He also dared Chua to reveal the identity of the woman featured in the tape.

“Others have been charged with such sex acts against the order of nature… why not Chua and the lady too?

“Just because the A-G has let him off the hook does not mean Chua can go on an offensive to attack DAP leaders, especially Lim,” he said.

‘Lodge complaint’

Karpal also urged DAP elected representatives in Malacca to lodge a complaint with the State Legislative Assembly to refer MCA state chief and Duyong assemblyman Gan Tian Loo to the Assembly Privilege Committee for abusing his position.

He also dared Gan to repeat his allegation against DAP representative for Kota Laksamana and Lim’s wife Betty Chew Gek Cheng that was brought up in the assembly sitting on Monday.

Gan has asked Chew to “enlighten” the assembly on the transfer of a woman who had served on Lim’s office.

Yesterday, Chew joined her husband for lunch in Penang in what many could see was a public relations exercise that “all is well”.

The woman in the spotlight in Lim’s alleged sex scandal evaded reporters’ questions yesterday with a one-liner “no comment” when approached during her school sports carnival.

Karpal said he had known Lim since he was eight-year-old and even shared the same barrack in the Kamunting detention centre with him when they were detained under ISA in 1987.

He said that as party supremo, he has talked to Lim “to find what’s going on” about the alleged sex scandal, but did not disclose any details about their discussions.

“As I know, Lim is a man of principle and was detained and jailed twice unfairly. He has denied the allegations publicly.

“We should leave Lim and his family alone. Don’t distract, harass and make unsubstantiated allegations against him and Betty.

“He is doing a good job as chief minister. It won’t be easy to crack the armour around Lim,” he said.
He explained that Lim could have been jumpy when he threatened to sue over the alleged sex scandal to protect his family as even his wife and son have been dragged into the political mud-singling.

Karpal said the party central executive committee would also address the issue at an appropriate time.