Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng wants PAS Temerloh MP Nasrudin Hassan to withdraw his "lies" against his administration within 24 hours or face legal action.

 

Lim was responding to Nasruddin's statement yesterday that Lim was not being criticised on the Penang undersea tunnel project, like Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim was on the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex).

Nasrudin ( left ) had said the undersea tunnel project would cost a whopping RM4.63 billion, and claimed that it was awarded to Construction Zenith BUCG Bhd via direct negotiations.

 

Nasrudin also accused Lim of producing record budget deficits for Penang for six years.

 

Lim said these allegations were the same as that made by pro-BN and pro-Umno social media cyber troopers.

 

"If Nasrudin claims to be a good Muslim who is not a munafik (hypocrite), then he should withdraw his lies and apologise to me within 24 hours," he said.

 

"Should he fail to do so, he is behaving dishonourably and will be no different from Umno.

 

"I will be left with no choice but to treat him like a BN opponent and  instruct my lawyers to take legal action against him for defamation by spreading blatant slander and lies against me," he said.

 

'Unprovoked attack'

Lim said he was shocked by the unprovoked attack launched by Nasrudin who relied on baseless claims and lies against his stewardship of the Penang government

 

Lim said he had never made any public comment on the Kidex project or on its award by direct negotiation.

 

"Neither has Nasrudin communicated with me on Penang state government matters.

 

“I have no interest in playing along with Nasrudin's political games of supporting Kidex, but I am making this rebuttal because of the lies by a fellow Pakatan Rakyat MP that have severely tarnished my reputation and the state government’s standing."

 

Lim said Nasrudin had lied because the seabed tunnel project was awarded by an open tender, not direct negotiation and cost RM3.6 billion, not RM4.63 billion as claimed.

 

He added that Nasrudin lied further because the state government under Pakatan never recorded a single year of budget deficit but recorded surpluses instead.

 

"The budget surpluses were certified not by me but by the yearly Auditor-General's reports.

"As for 2013, the Penang government is expected to record a small surplus," he added.

Unprecedented exercise

Meanwhile, Lim said before the preliminary agreement for the undersea tunnel project was signed last year, an "unprecedented" exercise of public feedback and consultation was carried out before the general election in May lastb year.

 

Three town hall meetings were held, two on the island, and another on the mainland.

 

"Effectively, the people of Penang were given a rare opportunity to support or reject this project by voting to retain or replace the Pakatan government in the last election," Lim said.

 

"The Pakatan government was returned to power last year with the highest electoral mandate in history, with 68 percent of the popular vote," he pointed out.

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