LIM Guan Eng today said he will not entertain former prime minister Najib Razak by answering his 10 questions on the undersea tunnel project.

“This is a devious attempt by him to trap me for contempt of court. I shall not fall into his trap to answer 10 questions that may be sub judice, except to say that the tunnel and road project was awarded not by me but through open tender,” the former finance minister said in a statement today.

Najib told Malaysiakini yesterday that Lim should answer “10 easy questions” to clear the people’s suspicions and doubts about the tunnel project. 

The former Penang chief minister said the decision on awarding the project was made by the State Tender Board, chaired by the state secretary and other senior government officers. 

He said the MACC’s corruption allegations against him are baseless as the anti-graft body did not find any money sourced from corrupt practices or show proof on its existence during the questioning. 

“Just like Najib not needing to be placed in the MACC lockup, Najib can say what he likes even when he was sentenced by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to 12 years in jail and slapped with a RM 210 million fine over the SRC corruption case.

“However, I do not enjoy the privileges that Najib is ‘entitled’ to, and will prove my innocence in court,” he added. 

Lim also said Najib not having to spend a night in MACC lockup despite being arrested twice shows the then Pakatan Harapan government did not interfere in the graft buster’s conduct of investigation.

The DAP secretary-general, arrested under the Internal Security Act in 1987 and spent 18 months at the Kamunting detention centre and jailed in Kajang Prison for another 18 months said he knew better than Najib what lockups are like.  

“Clearly Najib thinks the MACC lockup is like a hotel because he has never been into one,” he said. 

“Najib admitted he was not placed in the MACC lockup on September 20, 2018 but was instead placed inside the MACC.

“Where was he actually placed when he spent the night inside the building? At no time was his statement in September 2018 rebutted and corrected by chief commissioner Azam Baki or MACC,” he added.

He also urged Azam to respond to his queries professionally instead of challenging him to lodge a police report if there was any mistreatment during his time in custody.

“In my Facebook post, I did not comment on my treatment by MACC officers while in their custody on from August 6 to 7. 

“I only asked why my predecessor was not given similar treatment as I was, by being placed in the lockup sleeping on a wooden prison floor without mattress and pillow, wearing the orange lockup t-shirt.” 

He also asked why pro-Perikatan Nasional activists and bloggers were privy to the information of his imminent arrest and that he would be charged four days ahead. 

“Is MACC taking action or pretending ignorance against this leak of secret information?” he asked.

Lim added that he is not surprised over Najib’s personal attacks against his wife when the couple were both arrested and charged by the MACC even though the RM3.3 million alleged corruption money was not found in their possession.

“From his tone, Najib may feel that my wife will have to go through what his wife went through. These corruption allegations against both of us are baseless. I am furious that my wife has been targeted even though she does not involve herself in government affairs.“

On Friday, Lim pleaded not guilty at a special corruption court in Kuala Lumpur to a charge of soliciting a 10% bribe from the profits of the RM6.3 billion highway and undersea tunnel projects in Penang.

Earlier today, he was charged with abusing his power as Penang chief minister and Penang Development Corporation chairman for gratification between August 2013 and March 2016. 

Lim was charged along with his wife, Betty Chew, and business executive Phang Li Koon at the Butterworth Sessions Court earlier today, where all three claimed trial. – August 11, 2020.