Guan Eng revolted by pressure on families to make PKR MPs defect

KUALA LUMPUR – Lim Guan Eng has revealed that PKR MPs being sought to cross over to the government side have seen not only themselves, but also their immediate family members, being subjected to severe pressure.

The DAP secretary-general said PKR president and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim implored the lawmakers to stand firm despite the pressure to throw their support behind the ruling Perikatan Nasional.

What saddened Lim the most was that two of them referred to the interrogation he and his wife were subjected to as an example of what could happen if they did not submit.

In a Facebook post last night, the Bagan MP and former finance minister said Anwar was, in private, more frank about the types of inducements and threats at play involving PKR’s defecting MPs. 

He said Anwar reported two of them as saying they were “not strong like Guan Eng”.

However, Lim said it is his wife, Betty Chew, who is under investigation along with him on corruption charges, who gives him the strength to endure the pressure.

“I am strong not because I am Guan Eng; I am strong because my wife gave me the strength to do so.

“It was not easy to be subjected to endless interrogation by MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission), when they were just repetitive of the previous investigations many years ago, and clearly politically motivated.”

He said Chew was not only emotionally traumatised, but also saw her legal career being affected due to the “trumped-up charges”. 

Lim condemned the targeting of families in forcing PKR parliamentarians to defect.

“There is no room for (the) politics of treachery or vengeance, especially against innocent family members.

“Only then can we instil public confidence in accountability and transparency that there is political will and commitment to combat corruption without fear or favour.”

He added that Anwar told him of MACC chief Datuk Seri Azam Baki agreeing to meet him on the alleged enticements and threats involving at least five PKR lawmakers.

Anwar and Pakatan Harapan representatives are scheduled to meet Azam tomorrow.

Lim said the PKR chief was naturally upset at the defection of three MPs in support of PN.

On March 15, Anwar revealed that five PKR lawmakers claimed to have been subjected to threats or enticements to join PN.

The MPs are Natrah Ismail (Sekijang), S. Kesavan (Sg Siput), Awang Husaini Sahari (Putatan), M. Karuppaiya (Padang Serai) and Dr Michael Teo (Miri), he said.

He also said he wants to meet Azam over the issue, as well as recent allegations of political persecution against opposition MPs.

This followed the defection over the past month of PKR’s Kuala Langat MP Xavier Jayakumar, Larry Sng (Julau) and Steven Choong (Tebrau).

All three have declared themselves independents supportive of the PN government.

Lim said there is disgust and despair among Malaysians at such dirty and dishonest politics. 

He noted that the country dropped six rungs to 57th position in the 2020 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.

Stressing that MACC appears indifferent to the nation’s poor performance in the ranking, he warned that it will decline further this year unless urgent action is taken. 

“There is a need to clean up not only the politics of inducement and threats, but also (for) government agencies to rid them of political interference.” – The Vibes, March 21, 2021