29 June 2016•Update: 29 June 2016
By P Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR
A prominent member of Malaysia’s opposition pact, the chief minister of northern Penang state Lim Guan Eng, was detained on two corruption counts Wednesday evening.
Around eight officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) took custody of Lim, also the secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), from his office in Penang.
Lim's father and DAP advisor, Lim Kit Siang, tweeted, "Guan Eng arrested by MACC on two charges of corruption and will be produced in court tomorrow morning."
The younger Lim is accused of misusing his powers as the chief state executive on a purchase of a bungalow on July 28 last year.
He is expected to be charged in the George Town Sessions Court under Section 23 of the MACC Act and Section 165 of the Penal Code.
The first charge relates to alleged abuse of power with regard to the re-zoning of land from agriculture to commercial, and the second concerns the bungalow, which he had acquired below market price.
Businesswoman Phang Li Khoon, who sold the house for 2.8 million (698,000) Ringgit, was also arrested.
In a statement May 25, the MACC announced the completion of its probe into Lim’s bungalow purchase and submitted the investigation papers to Attorney-General Apandi Ali.
The MACC had also said appropriate legal action would be taken if the top prosecutor’s office was satisfied with the explanation given by the anti-graft body in its investigation papers.
The controversy began when a lawmaker from the ruling United Malays National Organization, Shabudin Yahya, revealed an alleged link between the purchase of a two-story bungalow to the sale of state government land to a private developer.
But Lim dismissed any links, saying the plot was sold via an open tender committee chaired by the federal-appointed state secretary.
He also denied any wrongdoing, saying he bought the house on a willing-seller, willing-buyer basis, and that Phang never won any contracts under his administration.
Lim, who has been critical of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s handling of controversies surrounding indebted state wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd, has insisted that he has been transparent, warned against attempts to assassinate his character.
