Penang BN chief Teng Chang Yeow recently said that the state government is heading towards Islamisation as there is a 300 percent hike in allocations for Islamic affairs but not much given to the Chinese Town Hall.

NONE "Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is always teasing his predecessor Koh Tsu Koon as being afraid of Umno but during the latter's rule, there was not that much allocations for the Islamic council," Teng ( left ) was quoted as saying in Chinese language dailies.

"Lim is more afraid of PAS. They merely won one seat in Penang, why do they need to be afraid (of them) like this?" he quipped at a dinner organised by MCA in Bagan, the CM's parliamentary constituency, on Monday.

The remark, published in the newspapers yesterday, did not go down well with Lim, who shot back "This is a very malicious racist sentiment as it implies that the rights of non-Malays or Muslims are sidelined".

Lim said that such remarks by a BN leader would not see daylight in a Malay language newspaper like Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia .

Instead, in those dailies, Lim said he was always painted as being "anti-Malay and anti-Islam".

"However, in Chinese language dailies, we are accused of being anti-non Malay and anti-non Muslims," said Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, at a press conference yesterday.

"If both Umno and Gerakan or MCA are on the same platform, they do not know what to say, they would keep quiet," he added.

"When Umno demolished a Hindu shrine in Prai, Gerakan and MCA were also silent. In this, looks like Umno will be quiet".

Funds allocated according to needs

NONE On Teng's comment that under Koh's administration, allocation was less for the Islamic council, Lim ( right ) said the Gerakan secretary-general has admitted to the fact that the community was given less attention.

"We allocate funds according to needs, especially those who have been marginalised by the previous administration, as the money did not go into the rakyat's pocket then but into their own pockets," Lim claimed.

He rejected Teng's claim that the state had not publicised the allocation for Muslim to the Chinese community.

"We do publicise the matter, everyone knows how much we allocate to Muslim affairs or provide allocation for Chinese and missionary schools," said Lim.

"I don't see anybody getting angry about the allocations, they know the organisations need it," he added.

"The Malays are not angry we give money to Chinese vernacular schools, and the Chinese are not angry that the Muslim affairs council are getting money for their activities," he stressed.

"It seems only BN is angry," he quipped, saying he was awaiting Umno's response to the issue raised by Teng in the MCA fundraising dinner attended by the Chinese community.

Last year, the state had also raised the allowances for mosque staff by 80 percent, while Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman said this was to counter the negative perception that the Pakatan administration had neglected that community.