LETTER | Lim Guan Eng will be judged, but not based on the viral picture of him "resting his eyes."

There have been accusations and counter-accusations on whether Lim was indeed sleeping or just closing his eyes to rest his mind for a while.

To me, it is easy to settle the score. Whether Lim was sleeping or resting his eyes would ultimately depend on his performance as a minister, MP, assemblyperson, party leader and a politician.

We could all have our eyes wide open pretending to listen attentively, and sometimes we can close our eyes to listen to everything.

Humans are not machines. At some point, fatigue set in and we may involuntarily fall asleep.

Politicians caught sleeping has been a game used by their respective opponents for a long time. However, sometimes I think it is better for one to be caught literally sleeping rather than sleeping on the job.

The image of a politician or a leader is decided by his or her whole being – character, values, capability, and his resolve over time. We can all pretend for a while, but eventually our true selves emerge.

Honestly, I don’t care whether Lim was resting his eyes or had fallen asleep. He was not piloting a plane, but was listening to a speech which was recorded. He can always refer to the Hansard or consult the officers on duty later.

The photograph of him “sleeping” could be used to tarnish his reputation. But it could also show that he worked too hard and was too tired.

Lim will be judged eventually, as a finance minister, party leader and politician. The one who took the picture will be judged too as a leader and politician.

But make no mistake, the criteria used to judge will not be on that photograph. I am quite sure it will be based on how he carries out his responsibilities – the whole gambit on revenue, expenditure, debt, procurement, subsidy and budget management.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.