Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 23.1.2013.
I regret that the Star refuses to print what I said and continues to lie by reporting that all events that just uses the word “Penang” must be approved by the Penang state government. That even though the Penang Starwalk event is not approved by the state government, can be held yearly in Penang without any interference but with full state support since 2008 proves the Star lied that the Penang state government does not allow usage of the word Penang.
This is a clear attempt to distract attention from the unhappiness of Hindus over the organisation of “Penang Run” held on Thaipusam Day on 27th January in USM, which involves Federal government agencies such as Jabatan Belia dan Sukan Pulau Pinang, USM and Gerakan leaders. The state government had received many complaints from Hindus, unhappy at the state government for organising the “Penang Run” event on Thaipusam Day. This prompted the state government to explain that even though the words “Penang Run” was used, it had nothing to do with the state government as no approval was given to use the words “Penang Run”.
No state approval is needed if any organisation uses the words “Penang Hokkien Run”, “Penang Malay Run”, “Penang Cancer Run” or even “Penang Starwalk” because the public knows who the organisers are and it is not a Penang state government event. But confusion can arise when the word “Penang” alone is used as in “Penang Run” for this Thaipusam Day event, when Hindus wrongly blamed the state government for organising it and not respecting this religious occasion. Gerakan and BN should explain why they chose to organise it on Thaipusam Day.
Proper use of the word Penang(alone) on events is necessary to avoid any abuse of the word Penang to drag in the state government. For events like this “Penang Run” which is used without the state government permission, the state or local government like MPPP or MPSP will not give any co-operation or relevant approvals. There is nothing the state government can do if the organisers like those in “Penang Run” insist on using the word “Penang” alone, but they have to assume full responsibility.
I regret that this explanation relating to proper description of events organised, have been extended by irresponsible parties to state that words like Penang food, Penang Hokkien mee, Penang carnival or maps can not be used and are banned by the Penang state government. Such a portrayal is both dishonest and ridiculous.
With the general election season, I call on Malaysians who value truthful reporting to be extremely sceptical about reports on DAP leaders by the BN owned media that indulges in baseless personal attacks. Yesterday the UMNO-owned New Straits Times reported that Irene Chang, the wife of Sibu MP Wong Ho Leng, had issued a statement attacking me for not helping her husband financially to cope with Wong’s illness.
Wong is seeking treatment for cancer in Singapore. Wong and Irene had ferociously denied the New Straits Times report as lies as she had never made such remarks. As expected New Straits Times did not show any remorse by neither withdrawing nor apologising for making such vicious personal lies against me.
I have been reluctant to engage with New Straits Times due to their persistent lies against me. I hope that I need not exercise the same caution towards MCA-owned Star following their insistence to distort what I said. If over a simple matter like the proper use of the word “Penang” can be turned into a big issue of something out of nothing, I fear worse lies by Star on weightier matters and of national importance.
Lim Guan Eng
—–Mandarin Version —-
槟州首席部长林冠英于2013年1月23日在乔治市发表声明，重点如下：
星报竞走比赛（Penang Starwalk）可以自2008年起，每年举行，不受干扰，并得到槟州政府全力支持，证明《星报》撒谎，那就是槟州政府完全不允许使用“Penang”（槟城）的字眼。
我对于《星报》拒绝刊登我的言论深表遗憾，它们还继续撒谎、造假指一切使用“Penang(槟城)”的字眼必须经过槟州政府的批准。事实上，就算星报竞
走比赛不是州政府批准的活动，它们自2008年起，还是可以每年在槟城举行、
不受干扰，并得到槟州政府的全力支持，让《星报》的谎言不攻自破，那就是槟
州政府完全不允许使用“Penang”（槟城）的字眼。
这很明显地是要转移视线，兴都教徒不满“Penang Run (槟城跑)”的主办当局，在1月27日大宝森节在理大举行活动，主办单位包括槟州青年及体育局、理科大学及民政党领袖。州政府接获许多兴都徒的投诉，他们不满州政府在大宝森节当天，举办“Penang Run(槟城跑)”。州政府被迫解释，虽然有关活动使用“Penang （槟城）”的字眼，但是，上述活动与州政府无关，因为州政府并无批准他们使用“Penang Run”的字眼。
如果任何团体要使用“Penang Hokkien Run (槟城福建跑)”、“Penang Malay Run (槟城马来人跑)”、“Penang Cancer Run (槟城癌症跑)”，甚至是“星报槟城竞走比赛（Penang Starwalk）”，他们不需要州政府的批准，因为公共知道谁是主办单位，这些都不是州政府的活动。但是当“Penang”这个字眼单独出现的活动主题中如“Penang Run”，并与大宝森节同日举行，令兴都徒错怪州政府，以为是州政府的活动、不尊重这个宗教节目。民政党及国阵应该解释他们为何在大宝森节主办上述活动。
我们必须在活动上正确单独使用“Penang”，以避免任何滥用的情况，连累州政府。如“Penang Run”单独使用了“Penang”，由于他们没有获得州政府的同意，州政府或地方政府如槟岛市政局及威省市政局也不会与他们合作或批准相关的事务。如果像“Penang Run”这样的主办单位坚持单独使用“Penang”字眼，州政府也没有办法，不过，他们必须对活动负起全责。
我很遗憾，因为有关活动主办单位的字眼使用正确性，已经被不负责任的人士，无限延伸至其它字眼，指“Penang Food (槟城美食)”、“Penang Hokkien Mee（槟城福建面）”、“Penang Carnival(槟城嘉年华)”或地图、槟州政府都全面禁止使用这个字眼。这种描述是不诚实及荒唐的。
由于现在是选举季节，我促请重视新闻报道的马来西亚人，特别以存疑的心态看
待由国阵控制媒体所报道新闻，他们往往纵容毫无根据的人身攻击。昨天巫统拥有的《新海峡时报》报道诗巫区国会议员黄和联的妻子郑爱鴒，指她发表新闻稿攻击我，在黄和联生病期间没有给予财务协助。
黄和联目前在新加坡接受治疗，他们两夫妻已经郑重否认《新海峡时报》的报道，并说明她从来没有发表过相关言论。毫无意外，《新海峡时报》毫无悔意，他们没有撤回报道，也没有针对他们对我做的人身攻击做出道歉。
由于《新海峡时报》坚持造假撒谎对我进行恶意攻击，我与他们的互动可说是步步惊心、保持距离。我希望我不会被迫以同样的方式来对待马华所拥有的《星报》，他们继续坚持扭曲我所说的话。如果像“Penang”字眼如此简单的正确用法问题都可以无缘无故变成“大件事”，我更担心《星报》在更重要的事件、或其它国家大事，是否也会撒谎。
林冠英