A DAP MP has hit out at PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari for his proposal to contribute RM300 a month from his government allocation to assist Seputeh MP Teresa Kok with Malay language translations.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said the funds should instead be channelled to Kepala Batas MP Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad for her to hire researchers to conduct thorough political research before delivering her speeches, particularly those that misrepresent DAP policies.
“As a PhD holder, she should have exercised greater caution in relying on such an unverified source, essentially a fairytale (cerita dongeng), especially given its lack of an identifiable author, ISBN, or publisher,” Lim said in a statement on Thursday (Sept 19).
Lim was referring to Siti Mastura’s controversial speech at a political rally during the Kemaman by-election campaign period last year where she associated DAP leaders Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, his son Lim Guan Eng and Kok with former communist leader Chin Peng as well as Singapore’s first prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew.
This had led to the trio filing defamation suits against the PAS MP.
In her statement of defence filed in January, the Penang PAS Muslimat deputy chief had argued that the allegations she made were based on truth and facts.
Siti Mastura claimed her allegations were based on facts obtained from the book Bahan Kempen, Komunikasi Barisan Nasional (Campaign Material, Barisan Nasional Communications).
“In the recent High Court proceedings concerning her defamation lawsuit, Siti Mastura expressed a slavish belief in a book by an anonymous source ostensibly associated with BN Communication, which contains numerous defamatory claims,” he remarked.
“This funding could help her avoid making unfounded claims, such as alleged family ties between Kit Siang, Guan Eng and the communist leader Chin Peng.
“It is clear that she would be a more deserving recipient of the RM300. As the saying goes, charity begins at home.”
Ahmad Fadhli’s sarcastic jab at Kok comes after she had faced backlash for what she claims was an inaccurate translation by artificial intelligence (AI) tool ChatGPT of her statement on halal certification where the phrase “to embarrass” was translated as “memalukan”.
Speaking to Mingguan Malaysia Kok disclosed that during police questioning she had explained that her original Mandarin statement had been translated into Malay by a colleague before being posted on Facebook.
However, due to time constraints, the translation was not properly reviewed before being shared and was then picked up by the media, she added.
Playing on the controversy, Ahmad Fadhli, who is also the Pasir Mas MP, had expressed his “sympathy” for Kok, saying the mistake occurred due to her assistant’s lack of proficiency in Malay and time constraints. – Sept 19, 2024
Main image: The Edge
