After MACC reveals past probe, Guan Eng questions silence about outcome

(Malay Mail Online) – Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today expressed surprise over the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) saying it previously investigated his tenancy at a Penang home, saying it never contacted him regarding the case.

He also questioned why the MACC neither announced that it had investigated him over the issue nor the outcome of the investigation.

“It is intriguing that the MACC in Penang said it once investigated my tenancy at the home in 2009. If that is so, why did it not announce to the public in 2009 that this was baseless?

“Clearly, the MACC has investigated me throughout this time without my knowledge, and the result is there was no cause for action against me,” Lim said in a statement today.

The MACC said yesterday that it will investigate the report against Lim without fear or favour, and revealed that it had previously examined him over his tenancy at the same house before.

The DAP secretary-general said today he welcomed the MACC’s investigation against him now over the purchase of the house in question, and that he was confident the probe will clear him of any wrongdoing.

He added he was certain the details of the case will show that there was no corruption involved in his purchase of the house he previously rented for RM5,000 a month, which he later purchased for RM2.8 million that his critics said was below market value.

On Thursday, Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shabudin Yahaya accused Lim of corruption by linking the latter’s purchase of the house in George Town to the sale of the state government land in Taman Manggis there.

He alleged that Lim bought the house for below market price from a seller who was linked to the company that bought the Taman Manggis land back in 2012 to build a specialist hospital.

Lim today said the individual from whom he bought the house was not involved in the firm that purchased the Taman Manggis land, nor was the person a director or shareholder in the company.

The CM also said the state sold the land via open tender, and pointed out that he was not the chair of the state’s tender committee.