Supporters Donate RM2.9 Million For LGE's Bail But Gerakan Says He Doesn't Need The Help
Following Lim Guan Eng's first charge on Friday, 7 August, DAP launched a 'RM10 in solidarity with Lim Guan Eng' fundraising campaign for their party secretary-general.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 13 Aug 2020, 12:50 PM
A solidarity fund set up to raise money for former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng has amassed over RM2.9 million
DAP member and former deputy education minister Teo Nie Ching shared the news on her Facebook page on Monday, 11 August, thanking Malaysians for lending a helping hand.
Since Lim was charged for corruption in various courts last week, DAP had set up a 'RM10 in solidarity with Lim Guan Eng' fundraising campaign.
Videos posted online showed supporters queuing to drop RM10 into a donation box, while photos displaying a DAP bank account number urged more Malaysians to donate.
Supporters donated RM1.8 million more than the bail money both Lim Guan Eng and his wife Betty Chew were ordered to pay
Here is the breakdown of the bail money Lim and Chew were ordered to pay based on each case:
- Lim charged for soliciting a bribe from Consortium Zenith Construction's senior executive director: RM1 million
- Lim charged for receiving RM372,009 in bribes from businessperson Phang Li Koon: RM50,000
- Chew charged for money laundering: RM50,000
The total bail money added up to RM1.1 million.
When the fundraising campaign was launched last week, Damansara lawmaker Tony Pua said any surplus will go towards funding DAP's campaign for the next general election, reported Free Malaysia Today.
Prior to this, Gerakan condemned DAP for portraying Lim as a victim and a pauper who is unable to pay his bail
Gerakan vice president Datuk Baljit Singh stressed that Lim had a high-paying income when he was in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, reported New Straits Times.
Baljit cited the asset declaration list found on the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission's (MACC) website, saying Lim "topped everyone else" in terms of earnings. He said Lim's monthly income was RM86,564.92.
"If Guan Eng was somehow unable to save anything from his salaries as a chief minister of two terms, member of numerous boards while serving as a chief minister, becoming a member of Parliament and then a cabinet minister, he should turn to DAP MPs to come up with the RM500,000 instead of asking the public to give him RM10 each," said the Gerakan leader.
"I would therefore like to advise DAP to stop the shenanigans of portraying [Lim] as a victim and a pauper who is unable to pay his bail."
In comparison to former prime minister Datuk Sri Najib Razak when he was first charged in July 2018, his supporters had merely managed to raise RM500,000 for his bail money within a week, reported New Straits Times.
Lim's supporters raised RM2.9 million just over a weekend.
