PENANG Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today told Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Wee Ka Siong not to stick the race card on him and DAP.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, and MCA deputy president Wee have been trading barbs over allocations for Chinese schools in the latter’s Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat.

“Don’t accuse us of wanting to play up race in this issue. Don’t say we will go and tell Malays that you only help the Chinese when you give funds to Chinese schools.

“DAP does not resort to dirty tactics. I challenge him to prove that I have said such a thing,” Lim told reporters.

He was referring to an article in The Star today, which quoted Wee as saying Lim and DAP wanted to make the Chinese community angry at him for not donating enough to Chinese schools.

“And when I reply that we did allocate funds for Chinese schools, they will turn this around and tell Malay constituents that I help only the Chinese,” Wee reportedly said.

He said he knew the tricks up DAP’s sleeves when he was slammed for not doing enough for Chinese schools, adding that his critics were trying to kill his political career.

Lim and Wee’s spat escalated after the former said he was surprised when the Yong Peng Chinese school approached him for funds after hearing about the Penang government’s allocations for Chinese schools in the state.

Penang recently gave five independent Chinese schools RM500,000 each. The Yong Peng school received RM75,000 last year.

The chief minister said it was Penang MCA that had attacked his administration last year for being anti-Chinese after the state increased allocations for Islamic affairs development.

“Because of this, the state MCA chairman accused the Penang government of helping Malays and not taking care of the Chinese.”

He said he found it “extraordinary” that Wee had said ministers got only a RM1 million allocation annually.

“I think an MP gets RM5 million a year. Don’t tell me a minister gets RM1 million only. It must be more than that.

“That is why we have been asking why he (Wee) could not give sufficient funds to Chinese schools in Ayer Hitam.” – January 19, 2018.