DAP duo double down on Guan Eng’s cover-up claim

DAP duo double down on Guan Eng’s cover-up claim

PETALING JAYA: Two DAP MPs from Penang have doubled down on Lim Guan Eng’s claim that a “member of the administration” is covering up for the public works department (JKR), following a controversy over the diversion of funds to opposition-held areas.

Bagan Dalam MP Kumaran Krishnan and Bagan Jermal MP Chee Yeeh Keen urged Penang executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari to take action against the government official who allegedly diverted RM1.4 million in funds from a total of RM5.6 million.

“If no action is taken, we are concerned that funds will be diverted for a third time. Do not protect the official,” they said in a statement today.

Zairil yesterday denied Lim’s claim in the state assembly, saying it was slanderous and a personal attack on his reputation.

“I am not one who would hesitate to take action if there was any wrongdoing by any officer,” he said, adding that he had previously ordered for officials and engineers to be transferred over valid complaints.

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Lim last month asked why funds allocated for road maintenance in his parliamentary constituency had been used in neighbouring opposition areas.

Of the RM5.6 million allocated for road work, RM4.2 million was spent in Bagan while the remainder was used in Tasek Gelugor. The two constituencies are connected by the same road.

Zairil later said the RM1.4 million that Lim claimed had been “hijacked” had been returned to the Bagan constituency, and that the decision to extend the road work had been made by the federal works ministry.

He said the work was extended to neighbouring areas to ensure that the entire stretch was upgraded, instead of stopping halfway at constituency boundaries.

“In this case, there was no wrongdoing by the JKR officers and it is unfair to make baseless accusations against the state administration or its staff.”

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However, Kumaran and Chee said it was unacceptable for Zairil to take the recovery of the RM1.4 million as a resolution to the issue without any action against the official in question.

“The assumption in this case is similar to that of breach of trust. Money taken without consent is still a crime, even if the funds have been returned,” they said.

Backing Lim’s claim, the two MPs also cited an approval letter from the works ministry showing that the RM5.6 million was allocated specifically for the Bagan constituency.