KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Umno minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor claimed today that DAP”s Lim Guan Eng could afford to pay bail on his own and that the donation drive by his party was merely to get public sympathy.

He said it was a common tactic by opposition parties, and called on the public not to fall for it.

"I believe Lim Guan Eng and DAP has their own funds, but they want to get people”s sympathy,” he told reporters after launching the new tunnel on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim (Jalan Duta).

Asked to comment on Lim’s charges, Tengku Adnan declined, saying it should be left to the court to decide.

Lim, who is DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister claimed trial to two charges of corruption over over his alleged approval of a rezoning application by Magnificent Emblem to convert agricultural land to residential and over his purchase of his RM2.8 million house from businesswoman Phang Li Koon at below market value of RM4.27 million.

The DAP began a donation drive for its secretary-general Lim on Thursday, shortly after the leader was charged in court with corruption.

According to the party’s Penang chairman Chow Kon Yeow yesterday, the RM10 fundraiser was launched at 6pm Thursday and crossed the RM1 million mark at 2pm yesterday.

The campaign was launched after the party forked out RM890,000 from its accounts and a further RM110,000 from its national headquarters’ accounts to pay for Lim’s bail.

Shortly after the announcement, DAP’s national organising secretary Anthony Loke encouraged the public to continue donating funds to the party, saying the additional money will be used for its "Support, Sympathy and Solidarity with Lim Guan Eng” or "SSSLGE” campaign.

However, parties have begun to question what happens with the donations once the bail money is returned.