Guan Eng received salary of RM44,375 a month as chief minister, witness tells court

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — The Sessions Court was told today that Lim Guan Eng received a salary and allowance amounting to RM44,375 as Penang chief minister from March 2008 to May 2018.

Former Principal Senior Assistant Secretary (State Legislative Assembly) at the Penang State Secretary’s Office, Mohd Farulizam Che Meh, 43, said when Lim held the post between March 11, 2008 and May 14, 2018, he received a basic salary of RM14,175 and an allowance of RM30,200 a month.

“Lim Guan Eng had also declared his assets and side income on the Penang web portal,” he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Francine Cheryl Rajendram.

The 20th prosecution witness said this at the trial of Lim’s corruption case, where he is facing four charges involving the construction of the Penang undersea tunnel project, worth RM6.3 billion.

Mohd Farulizam said Lim was Air Puteh State Assemblyman, which he won on a DAP ticket for three terms, and was chief minister for two terms.

Meanwhile, lawyer Haijan Omar,  representing Lim, told the court that his client had been discharged from the National Heart Institute (IJN) and when asked by judge Judge Azura Alwi whether Lim could appear in court tomorrow, Haijan said the trial tomorrow would continue with the presence of his client.

The trial had proceeded for two days since Monday with Lim’s presence as he was admitted to IJN since last Sunday to undergo a medical procedure.

Lim is charged with using his position as then Penang chief minister to obtain a bribe of RM3.3 million for helping a company owned by Zarul Ahmad to secure the construction project worth RM6,341,383,702.

The offence was allegedly committed between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office.

On the second amended charge, Lim is accused of soliciting bribes amounting to 10 per cent of the profits from Zarul to be earned by the company as gratification for helping his (Zarul) company to secure the project.

The offence was allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, here, between 12.30am and 2am in March 2011.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, also faces two charges causing two plots of land, worth RM208.8 million, belonging to the Penang government to be disposed of to two companies, which are linked to the state’s undersea tunnel project.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Komtar, on February 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.

The hearing continues tomorrow. — Bernama