Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has denied dozing off in the Dewan Rakyat during a debate on the Budget 2019.
“My eyes were kurang sihat (unwell) just like in the previous Parliament session, but I still attended to hear the opposition representative (Umno's Rembau MP) Khairy Jamaluddin's speech,” he tweeted this afternoon.
Lim said he also managed to take down notes while “resting” his eyes and uploaded an image of this.
The minister also criticised Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa for using this issue against him and asked the latter if he was bankrupt of ideas.
Earlier, Annuar, who is also the MP for Ketereh, uploaded an image of Lim with his eyes shut on Twitter.
“BN's shadow finance minister is debating Budget 2019 and presenting the...alternative budget. The minister of finance is sleeping...,” he said.
Shadow MenKew BN sedang membahaskan BAJET 2019 mengemukakan Initiatif Ekonomi Rakyat(IER)/@bajet alternatif..
— Annuar Musa (@AnnuarMusa) November 12, 2018
MenKew Kerajaan tertidur...atau terus tidur??? pic.twitter.com/5XIURy3ZdQ
Two years ago, former Kedah menteri besar Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah was also embroiled in a snooze controversy, when a video of him with his eyes closed at a palace function went viral on social media.
Bashah, who had yet to be sworn in as menteri besar then, denied that he was sleeping, and instead claimed that he had closed his eyes to better appreciate the state monarch's speech.
However, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang watched the 36-second clip twice and concluded that Bashah was asleep.
"Saw Bashah video again. He was sleeping deeply. Bashah should not take oath as Kedah menteri besar until he comes clean on it," he had said.
