" The bungalow is not your father’s, none of your business!”

Lim Guan Eng, the Chief Minister of Penang, refuted any allegations on his purchase of a bungalow. He said the purchase of his double-storey bungalow was an “ arms-length” transaction between himself and the seller. The seller was a private individual. The house was bought through a sub-sale and it was up to both sides to decide what was the right price.

Many Penangites are puzzled by the statement of what was the right price. It is a norm that transactions between ordinary people, the prices are determined by the market forces, and Lim Guan Eng now wanted to instill a new conception or term that transactions between officers of high ranking authorities and ordinary people that the prices are not subjected to market forces but emotional control or moods of buyers and sellers of the day.

The explanation given by Lim Guan Eng had added much fuel for further speculation. But it would be much better if Lim Guan Eng could quote his famous phrases by refuting all the allegations. That phrase is “ The bungalow is not your father’s, none of your business!”