FORMER finance minister Lim Guan Eng, facing mounting corruption charghes in court, has pleaded with his political foes to leave his family alone even as they go after him.

“I have felt helpless in failing to protect my children. Now I feel equally helpless in failing to protect my wife,” the DAP secretary general said in a statement today.

“To our political enemies out there, go for me as much as you want, but leave my family alone,” he said.

“The shocking arrest of my wife, in connection to me, is the latest challenge my family has to endure.”

Lim was charged with corruption on Friday, while his wife Betty Chew will appear in court on Tuesday to answer accusations of money-laundering linked to the purchase of a bungalow in Penang at allegedly below market rates.

Lim was charged over the purchase, made when he was Penang chief minister, in 2016, but the case was dropped in 2018, after Pakatan Harapan came to power.

Lim said his family has suffered from his involvement in politics, especially from 1986 to 2008.

He said visiting him when he was detained under Internal Security Act in 1987 and imprisoned in Kajang in 1998 for defending an underaged Malay rape victim had taken a toll on his family.

The former Penang chief minister said they continued to suffer when his 15-year-old son was “viciously attacked” by Umno Youth leader and blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deri  – better known as Papagomo – who had said the boy had sexually molested his female classmate in his school in Penang.

“At such a tender age, facing the lies and accusations of the entire BN media machinery, he suffered and I felt helpless for being unable to protect him as a father.”

Lim said no action was taken by police against Papagomo even though the “alleged victim”, the school principal and the Penang Education Department had denied such an incident taking place.

He said Papagomo had again spread false news in March this year, by alleging that Lim’s son was arrested at the Singapore International Airport for trying to smuggle in RM2 million cash, and that he had flown to Singapore to secure his son’s release.

The Inspector-General of Police said there was no such arrest, and that Lim did not go to Singapore during that period.

Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin in a written parliamentary to the Bagan MP last week said the police had opened an investigation paper into the matter – under Section 505 of the Penal Code for distributing statements which caused public mischief and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for misusing network facilities.

Hamzah said the investigation finding have been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) on May 13.

However, no charges have been filed against Papagomo in the last three months, said Lim

“In contrast, my wife Betty Chew will be charged for money laundering on August 11, only four days after recording her statement and arresting her on August 7, 2020.”

He also said that Chew did not understand why she was being charged with money laundering when she derived her income from her work as a lawyer.

Chew will be charged under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, at the Butterworth Session’s Court next Tuesday.

Lim was charged with soliciting a 10% bribe from the profits of the RM6.3 billion highway and undersea tunnel projects in Penang on Friday.

He pleaded not guilty.

He is set to face further charges tomorrow and Tuesday.

Yesterday his father, Lim Kit Siang, urged the government to drop money-laundering charges against Chew.

He said the authorities must maintain decency and honour in not going after innocent relatives of politicians. – August 9, 2020.