Donations For Lim Guan Eng Pour In Even After Hitting RM1 Million Target
UMNO and MCA leaders are most certainly not happy about it.
By Sadho Ram — 03 Jul 2016, 09:42 PM
When a political party seeks financial assistance from public during a time of crisis, the response can be somewhat unsatisfactory
However, it was a completely opposite scenario with Penang DAP, which had urged people to show solidarity with Lim Guan Eng by donating RM10 to collectively raise the RM1 million bail money for Lim. In fact, the response from the people was so overwhelming that the party halted its public donation campaign after successfully collecting more than RM1 million in less than 24 hours.
"We have received RM1,009,000 as at 2pm today (1 July). Since 6pm yesterday, we have been receiving donations of about RM51,000 every hour," Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow was quoted as saying by The Malay Mail Online.
CM Lim Guan Eng bowing to show his gratitude to the people for their show of solidarity and support.
Image via MalaysiakiniThere were questions raised as to why DAP initiated the donation campaign when the RM1 million bail money was refundable
DAP had to liquidate its funds to pay for Lim's bail. Responding to the questions, chairman Chow said, "For 50 years, DAP has relied on the kindness of concerned citizens for public donations and contributions to keep our operations going. No one knows when the trial will come to an end (and) when the bail money will be refunded."
He added that the money collected will be immediately channelled towards the party fund, which will be used for the 'Solidarity with Guan Eng' campaign and also used for the upcoming 14th general election.
However, while the party ended its donation drive on Friday itself, people are still donating RM10 to DAP to show solidarity with Lim
Even though the bank is closed on Saturdays, a crowd of about 30 people were gathered in front of Maybank in Puchong this morning.
These Puchong residents were here to show their support for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was charged with corruption on Thursday.
They were waiting to donate RM10 each, by banking in the money through the automated teller machine (ATM), and spirits were high as they chatted with each other and took pictures together while waiting in line.
malaysiakini.com
Meanwhile, as people continue to support Lim Guan Eng, Penang UMNO Deputy Chairperson Reezal Merican Naina Merican, however, thinks the Penang CM has "burdened" the public with his party's request for donations and should step down from his post
Responding to Reezal Merican's comments about "burdening" the people, DAP defended its donation drive saying public's donations to Lim's cause came of their own free will, and not from some "mysterious" foreign donor.
"It's the choice of the people whether to donate or not. The fact that in 21 hours, donations to DAP Penang has reached RM1 million shows that the people fully support, sympathise with and are in solidarity with Lim, who is being persecuted by BN," Malaysiakini quoted DAP Youth executive secretary Muhammad Shakir Ameer.
MCA, on the other hand, fumed that the bail had already been paid, and DAP was trying to "exploit the sentiments of their sympathisers"
"To be fair, a man is innocent until proven otherwise, but to mispresent to the rakyat that you need funds for bail when bail was posted and no money will be forfeited if the accused does not jump bail is not only a 'false misrepresentation', a breach of trust but also politically fraudulent," MCA central committee member Ti Lian Ker said.
He called the donors' claims they had given willingly an excuse after realising they had been "cheated". "Some sheepishly claimed that they did it voluntarily," said Ti.
malaysiakini.com