The DAP will not stop its donation drive for Lim Guan Eng
despite surpassing its RM1 million target, leaders said, claiming that many
were still keen on contributing to help the party rally support for the Penang
chief minister.
The leaders also pointed out that it has already publicly
declared that the excess money from Lim’s bail fund would be used for the
nationwide “Support, Sympathy and Solidarity with Lim Guan Eng” (SSSLGE)
campaign.
“The additional money will be used to support the campaign,
it is a donation for the party to run the campaign,” DAP national organising
secretary Anthony Loke said.
“We are getting calls and requests from people who still
want to donate despite us having achieved the target. As a party which depends
on the public to survive, we will not reject these donations.
“We will always be transparent and will update the public
accordingly as to how the amount is going to be spent,” the Seremban MP added.
Loke reiterated that RM1 million raised from donations would
be used to replenish DAP’s coffers, after the party used its funds to pay for
Lim’s bail.
Once Lim’s corruption trial concludes and the bail money
returned, Loke said the funds would then be used “for a cause”.
“Once we get back the money (at the end of the trial) that
amount will be used for a cause, of which the party is currently deliberating
on what to do when we get the refund,” he said.
Loke said he was unable to provide an update on the exact
amount collected as of Saturday evening.
DAP’s Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari confirmed to Malay
Mail Online that Malaysians were still donating money for the Penang chief
minister’s case.
“Many people are donating as a sign of solidarity and not
just for the bail,” he told Malay Mail Online.
Yesterday, Loke said the money raised for Lim will be put to
good use and that that several options were being considered now, among which
is activist Fahmi Reza’s suggestion to donate the sum to a bail fund for
activists facing court charges.
In a Facebook posting on Friday, Fahmi, the graphic artist
and activist responsible for the controversial clown face sketch of Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, urged the DAP to reveal its plans for the
money raised for Lim from the public.
The activist currently facing several charges in court
himself pointed out that bail money is always returned at the conclusion of the
trial, regardless the verdict.
The DAP began a donation drive for its secretary-general Lim
shortly after the leader was charged in court with corruption and in less than
24 hours, hit its RM1 million target.
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.
Lim was charged with abuse of power and corruption over the
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 Phang Li Koon at below market value of RM4.27 million.
The Penang chief minister claimed trial to both charges and
said they were part of a conspiracy by Barisan Nasional (BN) to tarnish the
good name and image of the DAP-led state administration.
Source –Malay Mail Online-
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