PENANG: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng is so “hard up” for the post of Penang chief minister that he cannot see Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for what the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser really is.

Guan Eng has only one vision – to lead the state – and he will not rest until he succeeds, Gerakan adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said.

"He really gian (is hard up) for the position and will even hoodwink the public to get it.

"Guan Eng is too young to know about Anwar and his tricks. Ee chiak lu, lu pun um chai (loosely translated in Hokkien: He would not even realise that he was being hoodwinked).

"I am a veteran politician who can see the empty promises from a mile away, so it is my duty not to let the public be duped," Dr Lim told reporters at the party headquarters yesterday.

"Anwar acts like he is a saviour coming to save Penang, but I have worked with him in many areas, including sports and education. I know what he can do," he added.

Dr Lim was in town to discuss the party’s strategy.

The former Gerakan president noted that Barisan Nasional was aware that the people were worried about inflation but it was beyond the Government’s control.

"Hats off to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi because under his leadership, we managed to prevent the cost of things from skyrocketing.

"The price of petroleum went up three times in China last year and the cost of electricity there is double compared to ours.

"The Thais pay double for cooking oil what we Malaysians pay," Dr Lim said, adding that the PKR-DAP pact was an "unholy union" that was aimed at "cheating the rakyat".