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Datuk Dr Lim Keng Yaik Has Neither The Credibility To Uphold Truth Nor Moral Authority To Punish Malaysiakini For The April Fool’s Prank When He Had Lied From  His Earlier Promise That TNB Bhd Should Pay Compensation For The January 13 Mass Blackout Affecting 5 States Press Statement by Lim Guan Eng (Petaling Jaya, Tuesday): If Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mohd Nazri Aziz is suddenly so resolute in upholding truth, then why does he not behave consistently by also taking action against BN-controlled newspapers that consistently tells lies about opposition parties, especially during the general elections. Malaysiakini had openly reported in an accompanying piece that the article which ‘claimed’ that three ministers and one menteri besar would be charged over corruption was an April Fool’s prank.  This is much better than BN-controlled newspapers that to date still refuses to admit to serial lies against opposition parties. Should Datuk Mohd Nazri be suddenly infused with a moral awakening of truth, then he should not practice double-standards but take action against all newspapers who tells lies, including BN papers who to date refuse to admit to these lies. It is sheer hypocrisy of Datuk Mohd Nazri to talk about the need to tell the truth when BN-controlled papers are allowed to tell lies.  Minister for Energy Water & Communications Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik has neither the credibility to uphold truth nor moral authority to punish Malaysiakini for the April Fool’s prank when he had lied from his earlier promise that TNB Bhd should pay compensation for the January 13 mass blackout affecting 5 states.  On the day of the mass blackout, Datuk Dr Lim’s statement that consumers can claim compensation from TNB was given front-page treatment in the Chinese papers on January 14th.  He repeated that after a Cabinet meeting on 27 Janaury 2005 that whether it is a technical fault or human error, TNB has to bear full responsibility. Subsequently TNB repudiated Lim Keng Yaik’s disclaiming liability because the mass blackout was less than 4 hours.    Whilst Datuk Seri Dr Lim and Tenaga can talk in technical terms the reasons behind the breakdown, the fact remains that Tenaga has failed in its primary statutory duty to ensure regular power supply. This is a serious matter as millions of ringgit of losses from industries affected by the mass blackout is involved.  To date Keng Yaik has not explained why he lied or whether he was joking and pulling a premature April Fool’s prank of his own. To expect a liar to be an arbiter of truth and punish Malaysiakini for telling lies is unacceptable and makes a mockery of the advice that “those who live in glass houses should not throw stones”.  DAP urges the government to take in the lessons of Malaysiakini’s April Fool prank of the ineffectiveness of the anti-corruption drive that has not only fizzled out but has worsened as evidenced by the drop in Transparency International corruption rankings for Malaysia from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 39 in 2004. Instead of acting against Malaysiakini when no one has been harmed, the government should focus on taking action against the corrupt.                                                                                                                              (12/4/2005) * Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary-General