Chow denies avoiding Kit Siang’s birthday dinner

Chow denies avoiding Kit Siang’s birthday dinner

PETALING JAYA: Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow has rubbished claims that he deliberately scheduled a business trip to Japan to avoid attending DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang’s 84th birthday dinner in George Town last Saturday.

Chow said the official trip was arranged by the state’s business entity, Invest Penang, well before the dinner was scheduled.

“Invest Penang made all the arrangements, including the available window for both parties after Chinese New Year and before Ramadan begins,” he told FMT.

Chow also said speculation about his absence was “completely off the mark”, given how much Kit Siang meant to him.

“I have the deepest respect for Kit Siang, who brought me into politics and led me to where I am today,” he said.

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Chow left journalism in 1986 to become Kit Siang’s political secretary in Penang, and has since held important positions, including representing the Tanjung and Batu Kawan parliamentary seats.

He also served in state exco portfolios before succeeding Kit Siang’s son, Lim Guan Eng, as Penang’s chief minister in 2018.

Chow also said he had informed the dinner organisers of his inability to attend due to his prior arrangement.

The chief minister, who returns with his entourage from Tokyo on Saturday, said his absence with a valid reason had been unduly politicised by certain quarters.

An opinion piece in The Star yesterday claimed that Chow had planned the trip to Japan specifically to bypass the dinner, which was viewed as an event to rally support for Guan Eng ahead of the DAP election on March 16.

This led to speculation that Chow was avoiding Guan Eng, amid political and professional differences in their management styles.

Chow is currently serving his final term as chief minister.