KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 ― Lim Guan Eng said today he sees no reason to go on leave pending the corruption investigation on his house purchase when the allegations against him were likely part of a political conspiracy.

The Penang chief minister also pointed out that other national and state leaders like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the late Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat were never told to go on leave although they too were under similar investigations.

“Both Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS did not make the same demands to the prime minister to go on leave, when the prime minister was discovered with RM2.6 billion in donation in his personal bank account,” Lim said in a statement.

In Nik Aziz’s case, the chief minister recalled that the late Kelantan leader was investigated for corruption over a sponsored hajj trip to Mecca in 2009.

He noted that the case was eventually closed and Nik Aziz absolved of corruption, and that during the investigation, no one told the leader to go on leave.

“I do not see why I should go on leave for blatantly false allegations against me, and when I have no influence and control over MACC investigations or on the Attorney-General, who exercises full prosecution powers,” Lim said, referring to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) by his initials.

He added that if a mentri besar or chief minister is made to go on leave every time a corruption report is lodged, this would likely end up being used as a political weapon.

“Everyone then has to go on leave,” he said.

Lim insisted that he has always made sure to run a clean administration, and pointed out that all government processes are conducted in accordance with the “CAT” principles of competency, accountability and transparency.

One key measure of integrity, he said, is Penang’s practice of open tenders.

He pointed out the sale of the land in Taman Manggis, which has been linked to the house purchase controversy, had been via open tender, which meant that it was awarded to the company that paid the highest price for it.

“How can there be corruption when the company would have won the tender on their own merit by paying the highest price?

“Further the landlady that sold me the house was never ever a shareholder or director of the company,” the Bagan MP said, referring to Phang Li Koon, the businesswoman who sold him her home last year and who has also been linked to the Taman Manggis issue.

“For this reason the corruption reports against me to MACC by BN and their supporters are false, and a conspiracy to character assassination and destroy me politically,” Lim said.

The Penang lawmaker said he will leave the matter in the hands of the MACC and urged the agency to expedite its investigation so as not to tarnish his government’s name.

He noted that he has already offered to give full cooperation to the MACC and said he hopes the investigation will be conducted fairly and independently.

Last week, Umno MP for Tasek Gelugor Datuk Shabudin Yahaya linked Lim’s house purchase last year to the 2012 sale of Penang government-owned land to a private developer to build a specialist hospital.

Penang PAS Youth then urged the chief minister to go on leave pending the MACC’s probe on the matter.