LIM Guan Eng today told MCA deputy president Dr Wee Ka Siong, who has criticised and questioned Penang’s undersea tunnel and highways project, that the latter is not qualified to debate him.

The Penang chief minister and DAP secretary-general said only MCA ‘s No. 1 – party president Liow Tiong Lai – was qualified to do so.

“Just as (former MCA president) Dr Chua Soi Lek had challenged me to a debate, it is Liow, in his capacity as MCA president, who is qualified to challenge me to a debate, not only on the tunnel, but also the 1Malaysia Development Bhd global kleptocracy scandal.

“Dr Chua understood this simple logic, but why is Wee unable to? He should at least accept that he is still not the top leader, and respect Liow’s position as president.

“Does Wee think he is bigger than the party president?” Lim said in a statement.

Wee, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, had challenged Lim to a debate on the Penang project, which is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over allegations of corruption and kickbacks.

The MCA leader said if Lim was unhappy with him, the chief minister should be man enough to engage him in a public debate on the project, instead of calling him names like “despicable human being” in press statements.

He said Lim should admit that the state administration had entrusted a new, unqualified company with the construction of a multi-billion-ringgit project.

The project was awarded via open tender to Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd in 2013. The members of the consortium have since changed, and the company is now known as Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd.

Recently, it was alleged that the company had paid RM22 million to two businessmen to “settle” the MACC probe into the project.

The duo have been remanded to facilitate investigations.

In his tirade against Wee, Lim accused the MCA No. 2 of “trying to do some self-promotion and get cheap publicity for the next general election”.

He also took a jab at MCA over its poor performance in the 2013 polls.

“Wee conveniently forgets he is still not the MCA president, and is No. 2 in a party that won seven parliamentary seats in the last general election.

“This is in contrast to me being the top leader of DAP, which won 38 parliamentary seats.”

He accused Wee and Barisan Nasional of conducting a campaign to “undermine and sabotage the Penang government’s efforts to alleviate traffic congestion with infrastructure works”.

“Wee is also a serial liar, who refuses to account for his lies, and is an expert in avoiding justifying his lies when exposed, by jumping to a new lie,” he said, referring to questions and claims by Wee in relation to the state’s infrastructure project.

Lim reiterated that it was a lie that Consortium Zenith did not have the minimum capital requirement of RM381 million when it won the open tender.

He said it was also false to claim that the state government had paid the consortium for work carried out on the tunnel, as the feasibility study for the mega structure had yet to be completed.

He blasted the MCA leader for raising issues that put to question the integrity of members of the state tender committee, chaired by State Secretary Farizan Darus.

“The Penang government is willing to be subjected to public scrutiny, at a level never witnessed before in Malaysia.”

On Liow and 1MDB, Lim said any public debate should be held on a level playing field.

The DAP leader said it was “grossly unfair” for Liow to ask for a debate on the tunnel and highways project, but refuse to answer questions on the 1MDB scandal.

“I am sure Liow is eager to explain the money trail involving billions of US dollars and public funds owned by Malaysians that had been (allegedly) wasted on Hollywood films, pink diamonds, palatial mansions in New York, airplanes and the RM1 billion super yacht Equanimity, which was recently seized by Indonesian authorities.” – March 6, 2018.