Local media rapped for double standards

Story by Chan Lilian

THE media was rapped by Chief Minister Lim Guan over what he said was double standards in reporting.
At a press conference on Aug 8, a member of the media had asked for Lim’s comment regarding a case in Taiwan involving a Penang Datuk.
The reporter asked Lim if there is any intention to withdrawn the Datukship from the person.

“Is it normal protocol? Is it normal that when a person is being investigated, the conferred title is withdrawn? If that is the case, there will be a lot of Tan Sris and Datuks involved including Tan Sri Larry Low who is Jho Lo’s father. He is the one allegedly involved in transferring funds in 1MDB. Why do you never ask about that case? Yet, you ask about a case in Taiwan which is only under investigation and never involved our money?” Lim replied.

“If you apply the same standards, Tan Sri Larry Low should be reviewed too, isn’t it? I know you have been ordered to ask the question, so I am asking your boss – how come you never ask about Tan Sri Larry Low? How come you ask about this Datuk in Penang who did not even steal a single sen of our Malaysian money? The 1MDB case involved our Malaysian money!” he said.

Lim also pointed out that another media company leader was also a director in 1MDB and also carries the Datuk title.
“How come you are not interested in this media boss? Although he may not be directly involved in the 1MDB case, he is still a director. In the case of Tan Sri Larry Low, the 136-page United States Department of Justice (DoJ) legal suit had implicated that Tan Sri Larry Low had moved over US$500-600 million from the 1MDB funds to his two children,“ Lim added.
“These are double-standards. Please convey to your media bosses. Ask them why they do not want to question this media boss who is also a Datuk? This is akin to the saying that one cannot see the elephant in the eyes but can see the germs at the other side of the sea. (or English saying ‘One can see the speck of dust in the eye of another, but not the plank in your own eyes.)

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