Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 21 March 2018.
The Star had reported on 20.3.2018 that I would be investigated by the police for dancing along to a song mocking the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at an event attended by the children in a low-cost flat in Mutiara Idaman 2, Jelutong. The police is investigating under Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act which carries a fine not exceeding RM 50,000, a prison term not exceeding one year, or both.
One can question whether doing this in a function attended by children is appropriate. However, I never expected singing and dancing along to an anti-GST song, that did not mention any BN leader, nor any political party nor the BN government, is sufficient for the police to conduct a full-scale criminal investigation on a Penang Chief Minister. Can this police action not be considered at best excessive, and at worst an abuse of power against a political opponent, in the run-up to the general elections?
The police said that they will be recording my statement after receiving police reports against me. If that is the case, would the police also record the statement of every Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister or the Prime Minister when police reports or lodged against them? Clearly the police would not do so and this is a clear case of double-standards to harass and distract me from my party and my election preparations to face the coming 14th General Elections.
Such double-standards by the police is reinforced by the failure to take any action against Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, for entering a school in SK Putrajaya Presint 14 (1) on Tuesday 3 October, and getting the students to sing UMNO songs, shout UMNO slogans and wave UMNO flags. In contrast, I was opening a free tuition centre for kids organised by the Penang state government at the low-cost flat on Saturday, March 17. Is dancing along and mocking GST in an event attended by children a criminal act that requires the police to waste precious resources away from fighting crime?
Even though I am unhappy at such double-standards by the police, I will give full co-operation and observe the law when they come to take my statement.
LIM GUAN ENG
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槟州首席部长林冠英于2018年3月21日在吉隆坡发表声明：
当有人针对部长、副部长和首相报案时，为什么没有警方向他们录取口供？
《星报》在2018年3月20日报道说，我将会被警方调查，事因我出席日落洞Mutiara Idaman 2廉价组屋一场有儿童出席的活动时，边唱边舞一首反讽消费税（GST）的改编童谣。警方援引马来西亚通讯及多媒体法令第233条文调查此事，若罪成罚款不超过5万令吉，监禁不超过一年或两者兼施。
一个人可以问儿童是否适合出席这种活动。但是，我并没有预料到，警方会因为槟州首长跟随反GST的歌曲边唱边舞，而全面进行罪案式调查，那首歌并没有提到国阵领袖，也没有提到任何政党，或国阵政府。警方的行动难道不是当权者过度反应、难道不能视为因为大选即将到来而滥权对付政敌？
警方说，他们将会在接获警方投报后，向我录取口供。如果有必要这样，那么，当有人针对部长、副部长和首相报案时，警方是不是也应该向他们每一个人录取口供？很明显地，警方不会这么做，这也是很明显地双重标准，用以干扰我和行动党，阻碍我们筹备第14届大选。
当联邦直辖区部长拿督斯里敦姑阿南在2017年10月3日 进入布城Presint 14(1) 国小，让全体学生一起唱巫统党歌、高喊巫统口号及挥动巫统党旗，警方却没有采取任何行动，这很明显是双重标准。反之，我于3月17日为州政府在廉价组屋区设立的免费儿童补习中心主持开幕。难道在儿童出席的场合，边唱边舞反GST的歌曲有罪？以致警方必须浪费宝贵的打击罪案时间来调查？
虽然我对警方的双重标准非常不满，但是，当他们向我录取口供时，我会守法全面配合调查工作。
林冠英