Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 14^th June 2012: 

Is BN showing symptoms of "Those whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make mad"?  

Is BN showing symptoms of "Those Whom The Gods Wish To Destroy They First Make Mad" with its preposterous claims of Bersih 3.0 using salt and mineral water as weapons to overthrow the BN government as well as Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai's fumbling failure to fully account on who paid for the 50% deposit in bidding for WWW 15?

BN had shocked Parliament and Malaysians by stating that "salt and bottles" used by Bersih protesters was evidence that the opposition had tried to use the April 28 rally to topple the government in the style of the Arab Spring protests. This is not just bizarre but insane for a government to fear its own citizens carrying salt and water bottles, especially when the only creature that fears salt are leeches.

The reason that people had brought salt and water was as a precautionary treatment and antidote against the ill-effects of tear gas. The fact that people had to bring in salt and water reveals the utter lack of confidence that people have on the rule of law, right of peaceful assembly and the fear of brutish and violent tactics by the police.

The truth is, as Bersih spokesperson Dr Wong Chin Huat said, "What we want is to ensure the legitimacy of the next government (federal and state) is beyond question by ensuring that the legitimacy of the conduct of the next elections is beyond question. Wong then added that the only way for BN to ensure its legitimacy was to implement all of Bersih's eight electoral reform demands instead of "ordering another 967 tear gas canisters costing RM1.8 million."

It is not enough that the government had infringed upon the basic constitutional right to freedom of assembly by barring Malaysians from entering Dataran Merdeka, which is a public square. To now claim that the 300,000 Malaysians who participated in the Bersih 3.0 "sit down protest" were trying to launch a coup against the government with salt and water bottles is sheer madness. The ancient Greek expression best captures BN's behaviourial condition, "Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad". Indeed BN has gone mad and is only awaiting destruction!

Liow Tiong Lai Must Explain Who Paid The 50% Deposit Of RM 12,100 on WWW 15 Number Plate?

Yesterday, Deputy Education Minister Mohd Puad Zarkashi said that when he received the letter of offer (surat tawaran) for the WWW 69 number from the Road Transport Department (RTD), he will be rejecting it because the dealer who made the RM 30,000 bid had misused his identity. Moh Puad further explained that the car dealer will lose the deposit of RM 15,000 or 50% of the bid, before the number is released for bidding again.

This raises questions about Health Minister Dato' Sri LiowTiong Lai's winning bid of RM 24,200 for the WWW 15 number plate. First, it was reported that Liow had won the bid for the WWW 15 number plate with a winning bid of RM 24,200. Then, RTD director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan stated that Liow had three options - to get it for free, to pay the highest offered bidding price, or reject the offer.

Liow has now said that he will reject the number plate. Hence, according to Puad Zarkashi's explanation of the procedure, if the winning bid is rejected then the deposit of 50% or RM 12,100 must be forfeited. If this is the case, Tiong Lai must explain who paid the deposit, what is his relationship with the person who paid the deposit and whether the RM 12,100 has now been forfeited?

If Datuk Liow can not even explain a simple bid of RM 24,200, how can Malaysians trust him fully to account for RM 24 milllion or RM 24 billion worth of health contracts?

*Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan