Noh Omar, who is the newly-appointed minister in charge of housing, urban wellbeing and local government, made the comments today. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

PUTRAJAYA, July 1 — Pakatan Harapan leaders have been crying conspiracy over Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s corruption prosecution because they believe they are “God” and above the law, Umno’s Tan Sri Noh Omar said.

The newly-appointed minister in charge of housing, urban wellbeing and local government also asked why the opposition did not respond the same way when former Selangor mentri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo was nabbed for corruption several years ago.

“When the time an Umno man was arrested, how come the question of selective prosecution did not arise?” he asked in a recent interview.

“This is the opposition,” Noh said. “The opposition think that they are God. ‘Oh you can’t touch us’. They are untouchable like God. They think they are all good.”

“When it comes to arresting people, for them, it’s OK if it’s Umno or BN (Barisan Nasional) but when it comes to them, they are untouchable. That is the opposition,” he continued.

The Selangor Umno lawmaker also expressed no surprise that Lim would be staying on as Penang chief minister pending the outcome of his trial, even though the opposition had pushed for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to go on leave during investigations on state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

“They speak out when it happens to someone else but when kena ‘batang hidung sendiri’ (backfires on them), they will not do it.

“I believe that Guan Eng will not resign or take a leave of absence. In fact, he will continue to be CM because he thinks he is right,” Noh said.

“I don’t want to dare Guan Eng to resign because I know he will continue. That’s his attitude. He doesn’t practise what he preaches,” he added.

According to the Tanjung Karang MP, this was not Umno’s way.

He claimed the BN lynchpin party would immediately suspend or drop leaders who are charged in court.

In the opposition, however, Noh said leaders facing court action not only get to stay on in the party but also are even allowed to hold on to leadership posts.

“Until they are charged, they will never give up their posts. They are not like Umno at all. We suspend immediately even if the person is brought to court, be [it] a division leader, minister or mentri besar,” he said.

Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) vice president Datuk Huan Cheng Guan said earlier today that former Selangor chief ministers from BN — the late Datuk Seri Harun Idris and Tan Sri Muhammad Taib, who is now with PKR — had stepped down after they were charged in court, while ex-Selangor mentri besar Dr Khir Toyo had similarly resigned as state opposition leader when he was charged with corruption in 2010.

Lim, who is DAP secretary-general, claimed trial yesterday to two corruption charges ― one under Section 23 of the MACC Act and another under Section 165 of the Penal Code ― over his approval of an application from Magnificent Emblem to convert a piece of land from agricultural to residential use, as well as over his purchase of a house from the firm’s director, Phang Li Koon, for RM2.8 million, which was below the property’s market value of RM4.27 million.

After posting bail for RM1 million, the top DAP leader held a press conference to declare his innocence, also blaming politics and BN for what he claimed was a campaign to smear his and the state administration’s name.