Tsu Koon’s wife seeks open public debate with Lim and Ooi

Tsu Koon’s wife seeks open public debate with Lim and Ooi

Friday, 02 May 2008 08:28am

©The Star PENANG: Former members of the dissolved Persatuan Bunga Tanjung (PBT) have challenged Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his chief of staff Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi for an open public debate on the handling of the association’s funds. Former PBT president Puan Sri Chui Kah Peng has given the DAP politicians a 48-hour ultimatum to respond to the invitation. “The venue, date and methodology of debate will be discussed between representatives upon the acceptance for a debate,” said Chui, wife of the former Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon. She said they had faxed a letter of invitation to them at the Chief Minister’s office in Komtar. “We have sought a public debate on the handling of the association’s funds and the manner in which the body was dissolved as baseless allegations were made against us by the two,” said Chui during a press conference in Autocity Juru. “We feel strongly that any further statements in the media will not be satisfactory. They are openly questioning our integrity and dignity in handling PBT’s funds and affairs, so we are prepared to defend ourselves publicly. “PBT is a non-governmental organisation registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS). We are not ‘desperate housewives’ as Jeff Ooi had alleged and we take that statement as a real insult.” She pointed out that a large number of former members were professionals, adding that both of them should respond in 48 hours as “everyone’s time was precious”. She, however, declined to state what would happen if they failed to respond. Joined by over 20 former PBT members at the press conference, Chui said Ooi should act like a responsible MP and check things before he accused anyone. At the last PBT annual general meeting on March 9, the day after Penang and four other states fell into Opposition hands, PBT members, the state organisation for wives of Barisan Nasional assemblymen and MPs, voted unanimously to dissolve the association. In earlier statements, Chui said remaining funds amounting to RM590,665 were distributed to the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) (RM350,000), the Bureau on Learning Difficulties-PBT centre in Seberang Prai (RM220,000) and three other charitable organisations. Meanwhile, Dr Koh chided Lim for saying that he was “hiding behind his wife’s skirt” when he did not want to issue any statement regarding PBT's dissolution. “He (Lim) always has something bad like this to say but I’m not hiding behind my wife's skirt because I have full confidence in her and her colleagues to settle this issue,” he said. Dr Koh said he saw no reason to issue any statement as he considered the matter to be not extremely serious.