Former Finance Minister of Malaysia Lim Guan Eng was arrested due to alleged corruption offences related to his involvement in the RM6.3 billion (S$2.1 billion) Penang undersea tunnel project on Aug. 6, 2020.

But Syed Saddiq, former Youth and Sports Minister, has come out to publicly defend him.

Cleared misconception of Lim as the "Malay Boogeyman"

He has claimed trial to all charges, according to The Star.

On Aug. 14, Syed Saddiq, the Member of Parliament for Muar in Johor, defended Lim in a commentary published on Malaysiakini, saying that fears and accusations of Lim being a "defiler of Malay rights" were misplaced.

Describing Lim as a statesman who is principled and a fighter for justice, Syed Saddiq shared that he, too, initially had his doubts about the 60-year-old politician.

"When I first started working with the then government led by Najib Abdul Razak, I viewed Lim Guan Eng, who is popularly known as LGE, from across the aisle as someone I should be wary of, someone who, if the Malays are not careful, will bite their Malay rights in their back, chew it off and spit on it.

He added that he was not the only one who had misplaced fears about Lim, as many saw him as the "Boogeyman" in the eyes of Malays in general. However, Syed Saddiq wrote that his perception of Lim transformed after working with him.

"I realised that the guy that was constantly branded as a Boogeyman didn't really care about power. He is just a statesman - set on a single goal, a goal that drove him to enter politics in the 1980s, a goal to build a better Malaysia."

Lim formerly jailed for trying to protect victim of statutory rape, Syed wrote

Syed Saddiq wrote about how Lim was thrown into jail for trying to protect a minor who was a victim of statutory rape.

Lim was arrested in 1994 following his criticism of the Malaysian government's failure to bring the then-Chief Minister of Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik's statutory rape case to trial, when the Attorney General had decided not to press charges.

After a series of appeals, Lim was sentenced to 18 months in jail, but was released after 12 months in 1999.

"The sad thing is not many Malaysians, especially the Malays, know about this, especially the fact that the minor was a Malay and a Chinese man was willing to fight for her cause and ended up in jail for that," Syed Saddiq lamented.

Vouched for Lim's integrity, urged Malaysians to give Lim chance to clear his name

He recalled how Lim was "again berated" as the "Boogeyman that will curtail Malay rights" when he became the Finance Minister in 2018 after the surprise win by the Pakatan Harapan coalition government, which Lim's Democratic Action Party (DAP) was part of.

"Again, another racist concoction made to spur unnecessary hatred. This wasn’t new. It has happened before when the late Tan Siew Sin served as finance minister under the first and second prime ministers," Syed Saddiq said.

He described Lim as a strict but detailed minister, who was "very rigid in ensuring every single cent in the nation’s coffer will be spent wisely and responsibly".

"For me, personally, I had faced a constant battle with (Lim) to ensure a greater budget for my then ministry, Youth and Sports. But having him as a finance minister kept me on my toes and challenged me to try to come up with creative solutions to ensure a greater budget."

Regarding the corruption charges against Lim, Syed Saddiq urged Malaysians to give Lim space to clear his name before judging him.

"I understand the duty of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, I plead for Malaysians to not be quick to judge. I believe in the Lim Guan Eng I know. A principled man true and through."

Not the first time Lim has faced corruption charges

This is not the first time Lim has faced charges.

He was previously charged in 2016 with two counts of abuse of power for approving a land deal and allegedly buying a bungalow at below market price.

His supporters said the move was part of a crackdown on those who went against then Prime Minister Najib Razak's administration, Reuters reported.

His corruption charges were later dropped months after PH came into power.

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Top image via Syed Saddiq/FB