Guan Eng’s retort to police: You say sorry and you give me new date
Penang Chief Minister shocked that top cop dismissed the call for him to turn up on Chinese New Year eve for interrogation as nothing more than a calendar oversight and asked Guan Eng to pick a new date.
BUTTERWORTH: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who has been told to give his statement to the police on Chinese New Year eve on a sedition probe, said he was taken aback when the nation’s top cop told FMT yesterday it was just a calendar oversight.
“I still feel that the police should be more sensitive. I was taken aback that Khalid said maybe the officer did not realise what day it was. Did the IGP know of the date himself?
“Every police officer knows the festive season is coming because they all talk about traffic and road safety during the festive holidays.
“All my Malay friends also know (that it is Chinese New Year eve). So do Umno politicians. I would say (the police) was insensitive. This is not having ‘sifat keMalaysiaan’ (Malaysia spirit),” he said.
Lim, who is also Bagan MP, was speaking to the media at the Seberang Prai Arena, where he gave RM100 each to 660 primary and secondary school students from less privileged families from his constituency this morning.
Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told FMT that Lim could just ask to change his interview date in view of the celebration.
Khalid said: “Maybe the investigating officer did not realise the date (was Chinese New Year eve) and wanted to quickly wrap up the probe. So he proposed the date.”
Lim’s response today was that the police should admit they had chosen an unsuitable date and offer a new date, instead of telling him to ask for a change.
“If you have made a mistake, then apologise. Tell the officer to change the date. Here they are asking us to make the request,” he said.
Lim was angry about being told to have his statement recorded on Jan 27, on the eve of Chinese New Year. This is a significant day for the Chinese community as families prepare for reunion dinners ahead of the festivities celebrated by most Chinese of any religion. Guan Eng is a Christian.
Asked if he would ask for a postponement, Lim said he was leaving it to his lawyer Gobind Singh Deo to handle it.
Explaining his unhappiness, Lim said the date fixed by the police was communicated to him by his lawyer and feeling the police did not respect Chinese New Year, he became angry.
He said it ruined the festive mood and even if the police did not respect him as the chief minister, they should respect the celebration.
“My lawyer told me the date and I said ‘Are you sure? It’s the eve of Chinese New Year.’ Of course it blew my top off,” he said, adding that he had many programmes, including festive-related ones, scheduled on that day.
Khalid had said yesterday about the date for interrogation: “This shows that the police are ready to work anytime. That date is also a normal working day, not a holiday.”
But Lim said today: “Yes, it is a working day but does the BN government, the home ministry hold meetings on the eve of festivals like Chinese New Year? Do you go and disturb people a day before Hari Raya?”
Yesterday, even one of Lim’s most outspoken critics here, Gerakan Youth deputy chief Andy Yong, took his side on this, saying: “Personally, I think it is inconsiderate for the police wanting to question him on the eve of Chinese New Year. Moreover, it is not a very serious offence and he was already questioned previously.”
But both Yong and Penang MCA Chairman Tan Teik Cheng also dismissed the chief minister’s defiance, calling it over the top.
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Tan said yesterday: “There is no need for Guan Eng to politicise this issue. If the time and date are not suitable, then just request for it to be changed. This is a normal police procedure. I think it’s not that big of an issue.”