Guan Eng says no threats....

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has denied receiving death threats, claiming that misleading headlines in several Chinese vernacular newspapers had blown the issue out of proportion.

“I never said I had received any death threats. I only said there were a lot of rumours about my personal safety and these rumours had increased after the Perak crisis,” Lim said during a press conference at his office Wednesday.

“If you look at the reports in the Chinese newspapers, you will notice that the headlines do not match the content of the articles,” he said.

Lim said it was not the first time there had been speculations about his safety.

“Last year, there was even a news article suggesting that I had been shot. I have a busy schedule and people sometimes get ‘excited’ when they cannot reach me,” he said.

On Monday, four Chinese dailies - Kwong Wah Yit Poh, Guang Ming Daily, China Press and Oriental Daily, reported that there was widespread speculation that someone was out to “finish Lim off.”

When contacted, state police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob said police had recorded statements from the journalists who reported on the alleged plot to assassinate Lim.

DCP Ayub said they were in the process of confirming the information and were also looking into a police report on the issue lodged by the Tanjung Gerakan Youth wing.

“We have not received any speculation through SMSes or rumours on the alleged assassination plan.

“We have neither heard of anything from Lim nor his office on the threat,” he said, adding that police would see Lim when he was available to record a statement on the matter.