By Parliamentary Opposition Leader , DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung , Lim Kit Siang , in Petaling Jaya on Monday , 31st January 1994:
Tsu Koon has shown that he has not grown and is a pretty person although he has been Penang chief Minister for over three years.
Dr. Koh Tsu Koon has shown that he has not grown and is a pretty person although he has been Penang chief Minister for over three years.
He also proved me right when I predicted yesterday that ‘ in the next day ‘ Penang Gerakan leaders wil be making wilder and wilder allegations based on the preposterous allegation about Australian will ‘drown ‘ the DAP challenge to Koh Tsu Koon and Tan Gim Hwa to a Public Debate at the Penang Chinese Town Hall next Tuesday on February 1.”
What I had not expected is that Tsu Koon would himself jump out to play politics with the preposterous allegation instead of maintaining the dignity of his office as Penang Chief Minister by making serious and responsible statements.
Tsu Koon said I had reacted to the preposterous and unsubstantiated allegation about Australian spies bribing Opposition politicians as I had been ‘stung by hornets’ and he queried why I had reacted so fast to the report.
Clearly , if I had not reacted instantly to the preposterous Australian allegation , Tsu Koon Dr.Kang Chin Seng and their ilk in the Gerakan would be issuing statements demanding to know why I had kept silent and even making the accusation that such silence implied ‘guilt’!
The people of Penang can see the ‘game ‘ that the Tsu Koon and Dr. Kang Chin Seng are up to , which is to distort the Sydney Sunday Telegraph report of the preposterous allegation that Australian spies had bribed opposition politicians by creating the impression that I was the one who was being reffered to
The Sydney Sunday Telegraph on January 16 which carried the preposterous allegation actuallt said:
“Australian spies have paid senior opposition politicians in Malaysia and Singapore tens of thousands of dollars without the full knowledge or consent of the Federal Government , former secret agents have alleged.
“The cash payments from the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) have continued over many years beginning when the MPs were junior politicians and increased as the receipients grew in stature.
“the clandestine payments and their management show ASIS has taken it upon itself to meddle directly in the internal political affairs of a foreign nation without specific authorization , the former field agents claim.”
It is clear that the Sydney Sunday Telegraph report , which has not been substantiated referred to ‘senior opposition politicians’ – and it is not clear whether it is reffering to ‘senior opposition politicians ‘ of today , five years ago or ten years ago , and whether they are still MPs today.
However , Tsu Koon and Chin Seng are subtly trying to equate , the senior opposition politicians with Opposition Leader and point the finger at me!
I am not angry with Tsu Koon and Chin Seng for such ‘dirty tricks’ for there is no reason for being angry with a pretty person who has not ‘grown’ after three years as Penang Chief Minister.
Similarly , I was not angry when Tsu Koon was trying to get the Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamed to contest against me in Tanjong Parliamentary constituency in the next general elections. I only feel pity for Tsu Koon that he has still to ‘ grow up’ as a Penang Chief Minister.
I will leave it to the people to decide whether it befits a Penang Chief Minister to behave so childishly as Tsu Koon has done on important issues affecting the people and nation.
Does Tsu Koon think that I have so much information on the Hotel Metropole , Taman Midlands and other MPPP scandals because they all come from the foreign media?
A Penang Chief Minister who is responsible , serious and conscious of the dignity of his office would see the large issues of the preposterous allegation in the Sydney Sunday Telegraph : which are firstly , the allegation is not substained and does not carry names and proof ; and secondly , the unwarranted interference with the internal domestic affairs of the country by a foreign government.
These are the two areas which a responsible and serious Chief Minister would concern himself when he wants to make any public comment – but not Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
In fact, he went even further and alleged that foreign media had bribed Opposition MPs in Malaysia and expressed his unhappiness that Opposition politicians seemed to have more because they all come from foreign media?
In making such a ludicrous response , Tsu Koon is only admitting in public that the last two months had been a ‘miserable’ time for him , for he realized that his credibility , intergrity and authority as Penang Chief Minister have become a big issue in Penang in his week and indecisive handling of the Hotel Metropole , Taman Midlands and other MPPP scandals.
This is why Tsu Koon could not restrain himself any longer when he though that the preposterous allegation which appeared in the Sydney Sunday Telegraph presented him only a ‘reprieve ‘ to distract public attention about the Hotel Metropole , Taman Midlands and other MPPP scandals , but also an opportunity to play politics and take the ‘ offensive ‘ against me.
Tsu Koon did not realize that there are certain things a Penang Chief Minister does not and cannot do – and one of them is that a Chief Minister should not be a petty person!
Tsu Koon has been presented with another test at the Penang Chinese Town Hall on February 1 next Tuesday – whether to accept the DAP challenge to a Public Debate on the Hotel Metropole , Taman Midlands and other MPPP scandals . This will be another indication whether Tsu Koon is capable of ‘ growing up ‘ as Penang Chief Minister.
DAP has offered to turn the DAP Ceramah at Penang Chinese Town Hall next Tuesday into a Public Debate with Tsu koon and MPPP President , Tan Gim Hwa on the Hotel Metropole , Taman Midlands and other MPPPscandals – and the people are waiting to see whether the political event at the Penang Chinese Town Hall on February 1 is going to be a DAP Ceramah or a Public Debate.