Tokong warned any media from playing up the story on his wife being appointed on the Penang Chamber of Commerce.
The news below:
CM's wife's appointment raises eyebrows
4:00 PM Jan 13, 2015
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's wife, Betty Chew, is listed on the property services committee of the Penang Chinese Chambers of Commerce (PCCC), but speculation is rife as to whether Chew had accepted the appointment.
As the advisor to the PCCC is well-known property developer and tycoon Tan Kok Ping, criticisms of "conflict of interest" have already surfaced due to the listing.
This is due to the fact that Tan's company, General Accomplishment, was recently slapped with a RM30,000 fine by the courts for an illegal hill clearing in Bukit Jambul, which he claimed not to be aware of.
The environmental groups felt that the Penang Municipal Council (right) or the state government should have blacklisted Tan's company.
Chew's appointment is compounded by the fact that Lim heads the executive committee on land matters in the Penang government.
Although Lim strongly denies it, his government has been accused of being "developer friendly" due to the rise in several development projects in the island.
However, a highly placed source from the state government said that Chew had denied the appointment to sit on the property services committee in the PCCC.
'No comment'
When contacted, Chew declined to comment on the matter.
Asked if she had accepted or was planning to accept the said appointment, the reply was "no comment".
Questions are also abound as to the reason her name is listed in the name of committee members of the PCCC.
When contacted, PCCC property development, construction and management committee convenor Finn Choong Khuat Seng claimed Chew (right) agreed to join the committee when she was approached by the Chamber.
He confirmed that she has yet to accept the appointment officially although her name was already listed in the committee.
"This Penang-based committee is working on general properties sector.
"Some may have the misconception that this is solely about developers and contractors but actually, it is pertaining to all property issues," he toldMalaysiakini.
Women quota
Choong said he approached Chew because she is a Penang-based lawyer whom he knows, and she is a woman.
Women are under represented in many sectors, and the PCCC hopes to fulfil the 30 percent quota of the gender in its committees, he explained.
"It just happened that she is the wife of the chief minister," Choong quipped.
"When I met her, I asked her if she would like to be part of the committee.
"I have also thought of Gerakan's woman leader and lawyer Rowena Yam, but I have yet to meet her recently," he added.
Choong said the PCCC tried to include people from different backgrounds in its committees.
There are members from different ethnic groups and members from other political parties, like Dr Goh Ban Lee, from MCA, he added.
Goh is heading the local government committee in the PCCC.
No conflict of interest
"I don't see any conflict of interest if Betty (Chew) sits in the committee. We are a trade organisation, not a political body," he said.
"Moreover, she was only invited to lead a division (property services) to find lawyers and accountants to help the public on properties issues," he added.
"She will merely become a division head."
Choong said he would never have approached Chew if she were still a lawyer in Malacca.
However, she is currently practising in Penang, and is handling cases related to property matters.
Chew was previously a state assemblywoman for Kota Laksamana in Malacca before 2013, after which she gave up her seat, and moved to Penang to be with her husband.
"We should not deny her her rights to make a living as others do," said Choong.
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Aiyeah!!!!!
When the wife of a CM is on the committee or board member of a commercial, it will still lead to a conflict of interest.
Can she not apply influence to swing CM decision in her favour???
And get commission in the form of RM12K to buy Gucci bag.
After having made so much personal attack on Rosmah, it would seem to be that Guan Eng is afraid to be seen as hypòcrite for buying the wife exorbitant gifts too.
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