Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has ticked off Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily for supposedly not taking his Budget 2017 announcement yesterday seriously.

The DAP secretary-general complained that the daily gave other issues more prominence, and speculated that this may be because such reports did not favour his government.

“The policies I mentioned for this term like RM220 million for flood mitigation works; it is one of the biggest allocations in Penang history, yet it is not given coverage that is as prominent as other states,” Lim told a press conference in Komtar today.

“For example in Parliament, when Prime Minister Najib Razak announced his Budget, it is given priority, as with other states but not for Penang.

“Surely it is Sin Chew’s right to side with our opponents. But I would like to state that even statements by a CM is not published in their newspapers,” he added.

Lim said he had lodged complaints to Sin Chew Daily but there had been no response from the newspaper’s editorial.

He added that he had also complained about the newspaper not carrying his statements on Pulau Jerejak.

Lim is currently on a verbal warpath with Gerakan over the sale of Penang Development Corporation’s 49 percent stake in Tropical Island Resort Sdn Bhd to private company Ideal Property Development for RM156 million.

Lim said if BN-owned New Straits Times and The Star blocked coverage of his remark, it was “normal”.

“But it seems Sin Chew also does not want to publish my comments about Pulau Jerejak.

“I leave it to the people to judge the one-sided attitude of Sin Chew towards the state government or me,” he said.

Lim reminded that he had taken legal action against newspapers before, the latest being his lawsuit against New Straits Times Press over Malay daily Berita Harian's coverage.

He said he resorted to legal avenues as that may be the only way his statements would be published.

“Others may make allegations against me but when I don't have a chance to counter their claims, it seems I am forced to take legal action like how I did to Berita Harian,” he said.

Lim added he was cautious in giving statements when BN media reporters attended his press conferences.

“I am careful not to give remarks as they would most probably be twisted,” he alleged.

“I regret that Sin Chew has followed in their footsteps”.