Dismissing IGP’s advice, Guan Eng urges Umno opponent to proceed with debate

(MMO) – Lim Guan Eng asked today if Umno minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan planned to back out of the debate on the Taman Manggis issue next week to abide by the Inspector-General of Police’s (IGP) Twitter advice to call off the event.

The Penang chief minister also criticised Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar’s suggestion, and asked why the IGP had not also stopped government-owned television channels from broadcasting negative news about him.

“Why did IGP not stop TV3’s nightly 30min attacks on me too? Trial by media agst me ok but disallow own self-defense,” Lim wrote on his Twitter account in response to a Bernama article on Khalid’s advice.

The national news agency had picked up Khalid’s Twitter posts from last night where the police chief said he agreed with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on cancelling the debate between Lim and Abdul Rahman.

Khalid said a debate at this time would be inappropriate as the police investigation on Lim’s house purchase, the controversy that triggered the Taman Manggis issue, is still ongoing.

He also pointed out that Lim has yet to be called in for questioning on the matter, and urged all television stations to abort their plans for a live telecast of Lim’s and Abdul Rahman’s debate.

The debate is currently scheduled for April 19.

“Why is IGP so interested in an investigation not conducted by the police? Or is IGP also in chage of MACC now?” Lim asked.

“Adakah @mpkotabelud akan gunakan peluang ini utk lari dpd perbahasan yg dicabarnya? Marilah berani berbahas!,” he added in another Twitter posting.

[Translation: Will the Kota Belud MP use this opportunity to avoid the debate that he had proposed? Come on, dare to debate]

Lim has been accused of corrupt practices over the sale of Taman Manggis to the Kuala Lumpur International Dental Centre (KLIDC) as well as the purchase of his RM2.8 million house for allegedly below market value from an individual critic linked to the firm.

The MACC is currently investigating the issue and recently, the Special Committee on Corruption (SCC), an oversight panel for the agency, said Lim and Abdul Rahman should hold off on debating the matter.

Both Lim and Abdul Rahman insisted later, however, that the event should proceed.