In an impromptu drinking session with the press, Penang Chief Minister voiced grievances over Pakatan Rakyat, amongst other matters

(TPT) – GEORGETOWN: Penang Chief Minister and DAP chief Lim Guan Eng did the unthinkable during a press conference when he suddenly pulled out a carton of Tiger beer and requested reporters to join him in a drink, adding that the drinks were on the house since they had been given as free samples by Guinness Anchor Bhd (http://www.gab.com.my/) who were intending to be appointed the official beverage supplier to the proposed tiger park.

“Drink, drink. Don’t be shy. I won’t hold myself back. I’m celebrating my victory today,” slurred a slightly tipsy Lim, who was sporting bruises around his jaw line and a hastily-concealed black eye covered imperfectly by foundation.

When asked what he was celebrating, Lim had replied that he had just scored a point for the DAP on the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) front.

“Anwar, Syed, Zahrain and Choo Keong had me cornered in a back alley off Anwar’s usual haunt around Lorong Love late last night to confront me over what I had said to the press the past few weeks over the DCM 1 issue. Heng heng Tony responded to my SOS call earlier and arrived on time to save the day.”

Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the PR de-facto leader, Dr Syed Husin is the PKR deputy president, Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim is the Penang PKR chief, while Wee Choo Keong is a PKR supreme council member. Tony Pua is DAP’s national publicity secretary.

“We slugged it out with the thugs, and it wasn’t easy getting them to see our point. We took a lot of flak for it, as you can see,” Lim continued as he pointed to his injuries.

“We did it, Tony and I. We finally showed ‘em who was the big boss of Penang. We were a great team, Tony and I…*hic*

“Faced with our superior firepower, the PKR thugs finally agreed to put up and shut up. Also we forced them to make a few concessions along the way. For example, the biggest concession we got was that they will finally name a new DCM 1 candidate to replace the one that they quietly pulled away from my state government on the sly.

“I’m so elated to be finally scoring points against PKR. You have no idea how much humiliation I had to put up with from my father and Kapal. They were practically laughing at me behind my back when I was left out in the cold in the decision to make Fairus resign.”

Lim’s father is DAP stalwart and former chairman Lim Kit Siang, while Kapal Singh is the current DAP chairman. Mohamad Fairus Khairuddin is the former Deputy Chief Minister 1 of Penang.

“A lot of people think that being Chief Minister is a great achievement. What they don’t realize is how hard and uncomfortable the job is. I’m always being dogged by the opposition BN on the DCM issue, and they are always asking me questions that I can’t answer. Like “why did Fairus resign” or “why must a Malay from PKR be the DCM 1 and not a person with the most merit, regardless of race.” My friends, I also want to know the answers to those questions.”

Lim also ranted about the privileges given to the Penang Chief Minister’s office.

“You didn’t hear me complain, but the car and residence given to me were horrible man! I mean the first day I entered the house there were cockroaches infesting the place! And such gaudy renovations left behind by the last occupant! Like something out of a bad 1980s gangster movie…”

‘Guan Eng – But who doesn’t like furry cats?’

(TPT) – GEORGETOWN: A growing litany of voices has come out to slam Penang CM Lim Guan Eng’s proposal for a tiger park in Relau. In return, Lim has admonished the group of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), nature conservatives, senior citizens and tree-huggers for their emotional responses.

With all the uproar from even organisations such as the WWF (World Wrestling Federation World Wildlife Foundation), this is seen as a repudiation of Lim’s rule in Penang.

‘But who doesn’t like furry cats?’

The plan appears part of a green tourism project to spur the local tourism sector into bigger roar in face of the worst economic crisis to hit the world since the last economic crisis.

“I don’t see why everyone is upset. Cats are nice creatures, why is everybody so angry?” he muses to this reporter while stroking the head of his tabby cat named, as you would have guessed it by now, ‘Tiger’.

The 40ha park set on a hilly ranch was supposed to have been the regional hub for over a thousand tigers which would be allowed to roam freely. Issues of control and enclosure do not appear to have been addressed adequately.

“There are no worries at all. Tigers don’t eat people, they eat antelopes. Don’t you watch the Animal Planet or Discovery Channel” he chides.

However, a chorus of voices have came out to pour scorn on the commercial viability of such a park since there are not much antelopes in the hilly areas of Penang. This is cited as a major obstacle towards building of the tiger park.

To be fair, he has said that the state government will only go ahead with the plan after considering views from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the people of the state. A referendum from the people on the park was mooted but has since been dumped.

The Department of Wildlife and Tiger Parks and the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Cats (MCAC) – a partnership of the Malaysian Nature Society, Traffic (the international wildlife trade monitoring network) Southeast Asia, the Wildlife Conservation Society and WWF – are jointly opposing the plan.

Fellow politicians have also joined in to denounce the plan as part of an undisguised money grab.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh, nicknamed ‘Tiger of Jelutong’ has come out strongest to scold Mr Lim.

“This is incredulous money politics! How much of a cut are you getting from the park, Mr Lim?” he shouts through as this reporter notes his arrival in Mr Lim’s office for discussions.

“You want money can do other things, like join UMNO or marry a daughter of the PM!”

There was no comment from Mr Lim.