by Looi Sue-Chern The Malaysian Insider November 11, 2013
Lim Guan Eng slammed former information minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin today for turning his criticisms of Felda buying an expensive hotel in London into a racial issue.
The Penang Chief Minister accused Zainuddin of playing the race card when the latter did not address the issue at hand.
“The problem with Umno is when they cannot give an explanation, they go back to racism. They can’t answer the two important questions I had asked.
“Why pay RM100 million more (for the hotel)? Is someone making money? Prove to us you have the expertise. Don’t turn this into a race issue,” he said in Penang when asked to comment on Zainuddin’s remarks in his blog, Zam Kata.
Zainuddin had lashed out at Lim for questioning Felda’s recent purchase of a RM500 million apartment complex cum hotel in London.
He accused Lim of looking down on the ability of the Malays to manage international hotels, and thinking that only the Chinese could do it.
Zainuddin also hit out at Lim for saying that Felda should only focus on agriculture-related businesses.
Lim reiterated that the question was never about race but why Felda had to pay more when it could pay less, and chose to spend so much when it had no experience in running a hotel in a foreign country.
Lim, who is also the DAP secretary-general, said the 198-unit Grand Plaza serviced apartments in Bayswater, London bought by FIC UK Properties, a subsidiary of Felda Investment Corporation (FIC) Sdn Bhd in early September, was valued at £80 million (RM408 million) in March but the amount went up to about £98 million (RM500 million) in six months.
“Where is the proof (to show how the value shot up)?
“And what is Felda’s expertise in running foreign hotels. In London, there are so many big boys. Who is Felda?” said Lim.
“Everything in Malaysia is racialised when the question should be about competency, buying what is value for money and protecting public funds.”
He also cited how the DAP-led Penang government adopted a policy of divestment when it took over the state in 2008, getting out of businesses where it had no expertise to prevent loss of money.
“Why is it that when we question Putrajaya and ask it to do the same, it becomes a racial issue?
“If this is the case, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should also be questioned about getting out of businesses that lose money. He also carried out the policy of divestment,” Lim added. – November 11, 2013.