‘Koh more media-friendly than Lim’
Unlike the current CM, Koh did not threaten the media and had taken all criticisms in his stride, says state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow.
(FMT) – If one were to compare former Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon with Lim Guan Eng, on who practised real press freedom, Koh will win outright, claimed Gerakan.
State BN chief Teng Chang Yeow said that during his 18 years as chief minister (1990 – 2008), Senator Koh was far more tolerant towards media criticisms than his successor, Lim.
He said Koh, now a federal minister, had never banned any media or journalist, or rapped them for being critical of his state administration.
“But current Chief Minister Lim is a stark contrast,” said Teng told after chairing a state BN meeting here today.
He said Lim has banned media and certain journalists, ticked off reporters who are critical of him, threatened to take legal action and has even sued the media.
Recently Lim threatened to sue any media that dared to print prevailing allegations about his private life.
Local senior journalists can confirm that Lim frequently complained to respective media editorial desks over critical articles against him.
They can also testify that during media conferences, Lim has many a time, declined to answer questions from journalists or media he considered as “unfriendly” to him.
Teng said Lim should walk his talk on press freedom, rather than putting up stage performances to convince voters that he was a press-friendly liberal-minded leader.
He said Gerakan president Koh was whacked from all sides, at times with unfair criticisms.
But he said Koh tolerated them all and had never lost his temper or showed his dislike against a particular media or journalist during press conferences.
“He never threatened, let alone sue, them… Koh has taken it allm in stride,” said Teng, the Gerakan secretary-general.
Teng said that Lim’s intolerance against media criticisms on the housing woes of the working class in Penang will certainly feature heavily in BN’s election campaign.
BN now has about 40 cyber troopers to engage Pakatan Rakyat counterparts in cyber space.
‘BN has learnt its lesson’
State BN information chief Tan Cheng Liang said unlike 2008, the coalition was now well prepared to counter and attack Pakatan cyber troopers.
“We will quash their lies against BN and counter-attack them with the truth,” said Tan.
