IN a tit-for-tat move, Lim Guan Eng today highlighted a photograph taken last year of Star Media Group boss Wong Chun Wai with a businessman, who is under investigation for allegedly receiving RM19 million from the Penang undersea tunnel project contractor.

This follows criticism hurled at the chief minister after a photo of him and the businessman made the rounds on social media last week.

Wong said he did not know the businessman, who was recently remanded by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for allegedly receiving money from Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd for “consultancy services” to stop the anti-graft agency’s probe into the state’s tunnel and highways project.

The newspaper boss said as chief executive officer of the Star Media Group, he meets “all kinds of people” on the job, and is asked to pose for pictures with people who are mostly unknown to him.

“I do not know this particular person implicated,” he said of the MACC suspect.

“This particular photo of me, shown by the chief minister, was taken on the night of August 8 last year at the StarProperty.my Real Estate Awards Night 2017, at Nexus Bangsar South in Kuala Lumpur.

“The event was organised by Star Property, which is a subsidiary of the Star Media Group.

“As is evident in the photo, where there are more than two people present, it was a public function and not held at anyone’s private residence.

“I was dressed in a black dinner jacket, and was for sure wearing my shoes when that particular photo was taken,” he said in a statement.

Earlier, during a press conference at his Komtar office, Lim showed the photo to members of the media, saying the businessman is a Barisan Nasional strongman and not his “buddy”, as his critics have claimed.

“There are many photos that indicate that the businessman is a BN strongman.

“I don’t want to play dirty politics like them, using a photo to say that certain people are ‘buddies’. I can also show many photos of me with federal ministers.

“But, I will just show a photo of the man with an MCA strongman,” he said, showing the photo of Wong, the businessman and a third person, who is not identified.

The Star Media Group publishes The Star daily, said to be MCA-controlled.

Lim was responding to a Facebook post by MCA deputy president Dr Wee Ka Siong, who said the chief minister is an “expert at finding excuses to deny accusations, including photos going around on social media”.

“Lim claims they are just two public figures standing. Please. Any reasonable person would see that the background of the photo is definitely a home,” said Wee.

“Moreover, they are both barefoot in the photo. What public figure would be photographed with bare feet in public, unless they are at the home of someone vital and important to their agenda?

“He (Lim) even accused the media of slandering him. For ordinary folk, when is there an opportunity to have a photo taken with the honourable chief minister at home, barefooted?”

Last weekend, after the mainstream media highlighted the photo of Lim and the businessman, his office issued a statement, calling the media spin “disgusting”.

Lim’s office said he has instructed his lawyers to study the implications of the reports. – March 14, 2018.