- Advertisement -
News

Guan Eng allowed temporary release of passport to attend uncle's funeral in Singapore

The judge says the passport must be returned within five days of March 5.

Bernama
2 minute read
Share
Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng at the Kuala Lumpur court complex, Jan 18. Photo: Bernama
Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng at the Kuala Lumpur court complex, Jan 18. Photo: Bernama

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today allowed the temporary release of former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng's passport for travel to Singapore to attend his uncle's funeral.

Judge Azura Alwi allowed the application after hearing the arguments of lawyer Syafiqah Sofian, representing Lim, and deputy public prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh.

"The court allows the applicant's application to obtain a passport release, but the applicant must return the passport within five days of March 5," she said.

Syafiqah, in her argument, said her client needed his passport for travel to Singapore. She said he would leave at 4.30pm tomorrow and return on Sunday (March 5).

"On March 1, the applicant was informed by his family members that his uncle, Lim Kit Hee, had passed away. Therefore, my client would like to attend the funeral service of the deceased at Orchid Hall, Singapore, tomorrow to pay his last respects.

"My client is not a flight risk because his family members live in Malaysia. He is also well known because of his career as Bagan MP and DAP chairman. 

"Besides, he is also subject to a high bail of RM1 million and has never failed to attend trial proceedings unless he is sick or needs to attend a Parliament session," she said.

Farah Yasmin did not object to the application. 

Lim, 62, is on trial for an amended charge of using his position as the chief minister of Penang to accept a bribe of RM3.3 million to help a company owned by Zarul Ahmad obtain a construction project worth RM6,341,383,702 at the Office of the Chief Minister of Penang, Floor 28, Komtar, George Town between January 2011 and August 2017.

Lim is also accused of asking Zarul for a bribe of 10% of the company's profits, an act allegedly committed near The Garden Hotels, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City in March 2011.

He also faces two charges of causing two land lots worth RM208.8 million owned by the Penang government to be disposed of to two companies allegedly linked to the undersea tunnel project.