Guan Eng claims wife, businesswoman Phang collateral damage in plot against him

SEBERANG PERAI, Aug 11 — Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng claimed again today that he was the psychological target of the charges filed against his wife, Betty Chew, and businesswoman Phang Li Koon that he said were politically motivated.

The DAP secretary-general said during a press conference at his Bagan service centre here that Chew and Phang were made to respond on baseless charges in an attempt to attack his political career.

“They were unable to show possession of corruption funds and Magnificent Emblem Sdn Bhd was not awarded the project, there was another tender called and another company got the project,” he said.

Among others, Lim claimed it was nonsensical to charge Chew with corruption over her professional fees as a lawyer.

Today, Lim expressed frustration with the alleged attempts to harm his political career and told rivals to come at him directly rather than targeting his family and others around him.

“I am very upset; if they want to take revenge against me, come after me, why go after my wife,” he said. “This is completely excessive and too much, just leave my family alone.”

Chew, who was also at the press conference, expressed her shock at the three money laundering charges against her.

She also alleged that she was a proxy target for those going after her husband.

“I’ve been a lawyer for 26 years, we were trained to be law-abiding and to do things in accordance with the law, I am not a [pampered housewife], I am perplexed over why I was charged,” she said.

Chew went on to claim that the charges were meant to create marital stress between her and Lim, with the ultimate aim of destroying their marriage.

She warned others that if their political rivals were willing to use such tactics against Lim, they would have no qualms doing so when going after others who have displeased them.

“They want to break him, they want to break my relationship with him, they want to break our family, this is very cruel,” Chew said.

Lim’s wife reiterated her innocence and vowed to stand by him and their family no matter what.

“God is watching and one day, you will get in return for what you’ve done to our family,” she said.

The couple then thanked DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH) members and leaders for their support throughout.

Lim was charged with three separate counts of graft in two separate courts in Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth.

He faced a charge of soliciting a bribe related to the undersea tunnel project under Section 16 (a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009 in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court last Friday.

He was then charged with abuse of power to obtain gratification of RM3.3 million in relation to the undersea tunnel under Section 23(1) of the same act at the Butterworth Sessions Court here yesterday.

Earlier today, Lim was charged with using his position as the Penang chief minister to obtain gratification of RM372,009.00 for his wife while businesswoman Phang Li Koon was charged with abetting him.

Chew was charged with three counts of receiving proceeds from an unlawful activity amounting to RM372,009, under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).

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