GUAN ENG’S ‘INHUMAN ATTRIBUTES’ BEING OBSERVED DEEPER BY PENANGITES

Lim Guan Eng may be in for trouble with his ‘dictatorial’ manner in passing the Anti-Hopping Bill in the recently concluded state assembly sitting. He bull-dozed the bill regardless of the advise from the party’s strongman Karpal Singh that the bill went against the Federal Constitution, making it not relevant even if passed. He ‘angered’ Lydia Ong for stopping her from being at her father’s side seconds or minutes before the latter passed away in hospital and blaming Pulau Tikus assemblyman Koay Teng Hai for being away in the United States when the bill needed two-thirds majority vote to be passed. He also ‘angered’ PKR and PAS assemblymen by not trusting them in the voting process although he has the sufficient number of votes to pass the bill without having to stop Lydia Ong from being ay her late father’s side and forgetting the Pulau Tikus assemblyman absence. Guan Eng, who distrusts anybody and everybody, had not cared about all sensitivities and devoid of human emotions, had projected his worse and ugly character in this episode. In the present highly volatile political atmosphere, the Penang Chief Minister who is dubbed as the Tokong, has actually touched on the most sensitive nerves of human character – TRUST. The distrust with PKR has existed some time ago when Penang PKR chief Mansor Othman termed him as arrogant and corky, which secret meeting was leaked in April. With PAS, it is not so much of the distrust at state level as PAS does not compete with DAP on seats since PAS contests on only Malay majority seats but the distrust is on principles – Islamic fundamentalism and secularism. The verbal war on the issue has toned down but the distrust lingers on as leaders of both parties try to maneuver each other and to project to their supporters the ‘good and cordial’ relationship both parties enjoy now. The circumstances Guan Eng is in right now is not good as the distrust works both ways – PKR and PAS members who are Malays – seem to be reciprocating the way. And since the Lydia Ong incident, some of the Chinese voters are having doubts on Guan Eng’s ‘human character’, questioning whether this man has any ‘human emotions in him’ or he is just like Anwar Ibrahim, the man who does not care for anybody so long as he achieves what he wanted. Given the political scenario in Penang where Guan Eng had a strong confidence of retaining his power, the recently developed episode has put a dent to his confidence as the basic principle of human character in him is being questioned. While the Malays in PKR and PAS have one way or another made up their minds on who Guan Eng truly is, the Chinese who have all the while adore him are now having doubts.