DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng has denied rumours that he and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow are at loggerheads.

Lim told news portal FMT that he and Chow are compatriots and differences of opinion should not be assumed to be a plot to overthrow the chief minister.

“Such imaginary plots are manufactured by those with vested or personal interests or those intolerant of a healthy discussion of public policies that benefit the rakyat,” Lim said.

FMT previously reported that there was animosity among the DAP grassroots over a perceived strain between Lim and Chow, especially during the recently concluded state assembly meeting.

“Differences of opinion do not equate to a plot for removal. We simply seek good governance. As a wakil rakyat, I must express the people’s views about what is best for Penang,” he said earlier.

Lim said talk that he wants to “overthrow” Chow was antiquated, with Chow himself backtracking on a claim that he was under threat of being removed as chief minister.

“Such a claim was not supported with proof. Chow himself admitted that he was wrong about it,” he said.

The former finance minister explained that the purported disagreements that led to assumptions that there was bad blood between him and Chow were several proposals made in the state assembly recently.

“Some of these disagreements were centred around creating a special financial zone (SFZ) for Penang similar to the one in Johor Baru, buying treated water from Perak, a proposed petroleum or hydrocarbon sales tax similar to Sarawak’s, and a contentious sale of Penang Development Penang Development Corporation land by direct award instead of open tender,” he said.

Lim added that the disagreements arose when all the government backbenchers were for the SFZ idea, but Chow put it on the back-burner pending further study. – December 2, 2023.