Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has denied a report in Utusan Malaysia today that the state had established an inter-faith council last year.

lim guan eng angry with utusan malaysia headline dap hina islam parliament pc 240209 "These are lies against me, DAP and also Islam. We have no such council and we don’t even know where the (source got the information) from," he told reporters in Parliament today.

The DAP secretary-general said he has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation suit against the Umno-owned daily, demanding damages and a public apology.

"If they have any evidence of us setting up such a council, then bring it to court," said Lim, who is Bagan MP.

“I have lost patience with this. They have been pushing me to the wall all this while."

Smear campaign ahead of by-elections

Utusan Malaysia , in its lead story today, reported that the DAP-run government in Penang had insulted Islam by setting up the inter-faith council.

The daily quoted Penang Islamic Council chief Shabudin Yahaya as saying that the council must not be allowed to function, as it would place Islam on par with other religions practised in the country.

Shabudin, the Barisan Nasional state assemblyperson for Permatang Berangan, described the setting up of the council as an insult to Islam.

The report claimed that the inter-faith council is headed by Lim and three Malay members.

Lim said the report was intended to smear Pakatan Rakyat ahead of by-elections in Bukit Gantang, Perak and Bukit Selambau, Kedah on April 7.

“Such a report will become a tool to attack us in the future especially when the two by-elections are just around the corner,” he said.

“I can stress now that such a council has never existed and if it does, I would know about it because it is my government (administration),” said Lim, adding that there should be no place for such “disgusting” reporting in Malaysia.

“Why would they come up with all these lies - that we are an anti-Muslim and anti-Malay?

"How come they never highlighted it when I was jailed under the Internal Security Act during Operasi Lalang in 1987 for defending a Malay family?"

Penang MPs to lodge police report

At a separate press conference today, Penang Pakatan MPs unanimously decided to lodge a report against the “false news”, at the Dang Wangi police station in Kuala Lumpur.

jeff ooi According to Jeff Ooi (DAP-Jelutong), they want the report to be classified as “seditious” and suggested it be investigated under the Penal Code.

No such council exists in Penang, he said.

Instead, he added, the state government has, since last year, been putting much effort into strengthening the relationship among voters of different religious backgrounds.

Ooi urged all Pakatan assemblypersons in Penang to lodge police reports as well to protest the report.

This, Ooi said, would become the next strong tool in tackling the matter.

Pakatan’s Yusmadi Yusoff (PKR-Balik Pulau) said Shabudin should step down as Penang Islamic Council chief for “smearing the image of Islam”.

“His allegation has promoted hatred and disharmony among the people...this is very un-Islamic and I am ashamed to be a Penang Muslim leader,” he said.

p ramasamy Deputy Chief Minister (II) P Ramasamy (DAP-Batu Kawan) also lashed out against Utusan saying that “this was not even a different view, but an outright lie”.

Among those at the press conference were parliamentarians Chong Eng (DAP-Batu Kawan), Liew Chin Tong (DAP-Bukit Bendera) and Tan Tee Beng (PKR-Nibong Tebal).

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