MCA has slammed the Penang Island Municipal council (MPPP) for allegedly “gagging” its own councillor, who had planned to speak about a controversial topic - hill slope development on the island.

State MCA Wanita chief Tan Cheng Liang said the DAP’s action in allegedly “curbing” freedom of the press has rubbed off on the MPPP, which she claimed had issued a gag order on councillor Lim Mah Hui.

NONE Tan ( right ) said Lim had been barred due to his “outspokenness” in slamming the state government for influencing the approval of a hillslope development project in Sungai Ara.

“In DAP, gag orders are the norm used for quelling dissent, the most recent being the gag order imposed on former party vice-chairperson Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, and now Lim appears to be another victim of DAP’s arrogance,” she said in a statement.

“With his gagging, the council’s system of checks-and-balances has been shattered, as Lim was appointed a councillor under the NGO quota,” she added.

“His outspokenness has allowed the public to know the real truth of what is going on in the state government administration as he is liable to no one,” she stressed.

Tan said the “gag order” imposed on Lim defeats the purpose of having him as a councillor at all as what is the point of having a councillor who is afraid to speak out on behalf of the people.

‘Speech halted on technical grounds’

In her response, MPPP president Pattahiyah Ismail admitted she did prevent Lim from speaking on April 26 at a full council meeting as he had not informed her in time about the matter.

The MPPP needs at least 24 hours notice on presentations during the monthly full council meetings, said Pattahiyah.

NONE “After this, he asked if he can make an adjournment speech on May 25 (also during a full council meeting), to which I said yes,” Pattahiyah ( right ) told a press conference in Komtar yesterday.

“However, before his speech, I consulted our legal adviser who advised us not to speak about the matter as it may be sub-judice since many cases are pending court decisions,” she added.

“I then asked him for his full text, that is true. It is also true that it is not necessary for a councillor to give his full text before a full council meeting, so I issued him a letter based on the legal adviser’s response,” she stressed.

NONE Later, when contacted, Lim ( right ) said he will speak generally about development issues in Penang, and Pattahiyah had agreed to his presentation on this coming June 25.

Lim was rather upset with the reports alleging that he had been issued a gag order to refrain from speaking about hillslope development during the full council meeting.

Lim said he had never uttered the word “gag order”, and clarified the actual situation, which is similar to the clarification by Pattahiyah.

“I will be addressing the full council on June 25 on the issue of ‘People, Planning and Development,’ Lim later said in a statement.

Penang BN leaders have been making an issue of hillslope development on the island that they claimed were destroying the hills, laying blame on the Pakatan government.

However, both Penang CM Lim Guan Eng and MPPP has rebutted that such development works had been approved by the previous BN government.

According to MPPP, 37 projects located in hills over 250 feet (76.2 metres) were approved between 1985 to March 2008.