Although Gerakan has criticised bloggers for smearing Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s son, a DAP representative has rebuked the BN leaders for joining forces with Umno to spread lies.Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik aimed his guns squarely at Gerakan and MCA for using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to disseminate false information about Lim’s son.
“I believe Umno is not so concerned about Lim’s son.
“Gerakan Youth could have revealed the information, which is not
true but what it probably heard on the streets,” said Ng, Lim’s political secretary.
Ng (right) pointed at MCA Youth’s strategic planning research bureau chief Foo Seck Chyn as another culprit who used social networking sites to spread the lies, despite Foo being quoted in news reports as condemning the allegations against Lim’s family.
He also accused MCA president Chua Soi Lek’s press secretary and former reporter Giam Say Khoon, state Gerakan Youth deputy chief H’ng Khoon Leng and the party’s Youth vice-chief Albert Tan Kah Leong as also having been involved in the lies against Guan Eng’s son.
“The attack has no class. They (Gerakan and MCA) denied playing up the issue, but how did the allegation come out from Umno bloggers?” he asked.
‘Babaric lies’
Ng was referring to unsubstantiated claims by pro-Umno blogs that Lim’s 16-year-old son had outraged the modesty of his schoolmate.
The bloggers also accused the DAP secretary-general of paying a large sum of money to keep the matter under wraps and having his son transferred from SMJK Heng Ee to St Xavier’s Institution.
However, Heng Ee principal Goh Boon Poh has cleared Lim’s son of all the allegations.
An infuriated Lim lashed out at Umno for spreading ‘babaric lies’ and condemned the bloggers and the Malay party for trying to finish off his political career.
Ng also said it was unethical of BN leaders to spread such lies because as politicians, they should be more cautious of their comments in social networking sites.
He called on Tan (left) not to mention Lim’s name in the sites without checking the facts or verifying any allegation made.
“Is he trying to imply something? In politics, we should not put morals aside and simply say anything,” said Ng, who is Penang DAP secretary.
“Lim’s son is not the only victim, the two children whose photos were published in the blogs have also been victimised,” he added.
‘Dancing with the wolves’
Ng, who is also DAP Socialist Youth publicity secretary, urged Gerakan and MCA to explain why they were still in cahoots with Umno, which he said “dances with the wolves”.
If the BN wants to recapture Penang, its component parties should stop their attacks and apologise to the children and their families, otherwise public discontent would rise.
He gave his assurance that the DAP or state government would never cover up such an incident if it had occurred.
He also condemned Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin for destroying his own name and reputation by tweeting sexual innuendos related to baseless allegations.
“Many cybertroopers are paid, but sometimes they do not really help the BN but are counter-productive,” Ng said.
Gerakan: Go to the police
In an immediate response, Tan urged Ng to lodge a police report against him and Gerakan Youth for providing false information to Umno bloggers instead of blaming them.
He said the “most advance Internet service in modern day” had been utilised to ask the state’s top leadership to clarify the allegations.
“We did not make accusations. From the beginning, I had asked Lim to sue those who spread the rumours against his son,” Tan added.
“What is wrong with asking the truth?” he asked Ng.
As the allegations are serious, Lim should take the matter to the authorities. However, instead of doing so as a father, he handled the matter politically, said Tan.
On a related matter, state Gerakan Publicity, Information and Communication Bureau chief Dr Thor Teong Gee said it was “disgusting, outrageous and way out of line” for Ng to accuse the party of having a hand in the allegations.
He added that Ng purposely dragged the party into the picture for his own political agenda.
“Ng is equally playing gutter politics and laying the blame on Gerakan for every negative issue,” he said in a statement.
“Don’t simply make allegations without any substantive evidence. Don’t simply drag us into muddy water when you or your boss are unhappy,” he added.
“Don’t blame the Gerakan if you have constipation and can’t go to the toilet. As an elected people’s representative, please talk with sense and facts,” he stressed.
