With donations still trickling in, DAP says no reason to stop fundraiser

(MMO) – The DAP will not stop its donation drive for Lim Guan Eng despite surpassing its RM1 million target, leaders said, claiming that many were still keen on contributing to help the party rally support for the Penang chief minister.

The leaders also pointed out that it has already publicly declared that the excess money from Lim’s bail fund would be used for the nationwide “Support, Sympathy and Solidarity with Lim Guan Eng” (SSSLGE) campaign.

“The additional money will be used to support the campaign, it is a donation for the party to run the campaign,” DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke said.

“We are getting calls and requests from people who still want to donate despite us having achieved the target. As a party which depends on the public to survive, we will not reject these donations.

“We will always be transparent and will update the public accordingly as to how the amount is going to be spent,” the Seremban MP added.

Loke reiterated that RM1 million raised from donations would be used to replenish DAP’s coffers, after the party used its funds to pay for Lim’s bail.

Once Lim’s corruption trial concludes and the bail money returned, Loke said the funds would then be used “for a cause”.

“Once we get back the money (at the end of the trial) that amount will be used for a cause, of which the party is currently deliberating on what to do when we get the refund,” he said.

Loke said he was unable to provide an update on the exact amount collected as of Saturday evening.

DAP’s Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari confirmed to Malay Mail Online that Malaysians were still donating money for the Penang chief minister’s case.

“Many people are donating as a sign of solidarity and not just for the bail,” he told Malay Mail Online.

Yesterday, Loke said the money raised for Lim will be put to good use and that that several options were being considered now, among which is activist Fahmi Reza’s suggestion to donate the sum to a bail fund for activists facing court charges.

In a Facebook posting on Friday, Fahmi, the graphic artist and activist responsible for the controversial clown face sketch of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, urged the DAP to reveal its plans for the money raised for Lim from the public.

The activist currently facing several charges in court himself pointed out that bail money is always returned at the conclusion of the trial, regardless the verdict.

The DAP began a donation drive for its secretary-general Lim shortly after the leader was charged in court with corruption and in less than 24 hours, hit its RM1 million target.

The campaign was launched after the party forked out RM890,000 from its accounts and a further RM110,000 from its national headquarters’ accounts to pay for Lim’s bail.

Lim was charged with abuse of power and corruption over the alleged approval of a rezoning application by Magnificent Emblem to convert agricultural land to residential and over his purchase of his RM2.8 million house from Phang Li Koon at below market value of RM4.27 million.

The Penang chief minister claimed trial to both charges and said they were part of a conspiracy by Barisan Nasional (BN) to tarnish the good name and image of the DAP-led state administration.