Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been criticised for allegedly trying to drag the people into the corruption charge he was facing.

State UMNO liaison chairman Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman said the move by Lim to urge the people to defend him and in organising open briefing sessions was a desperate act.

"I believe Lim and other opposition leaders realise that the move to organise open briefing sessions could be subjudicial to the case that he is facing.

"Don't drag the people in the charge that clearly involved him personally. The nation has laws and no one is above the law," he told reporters after handing out Aidilfitri contributions to members of the security forces, here today.

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He was commenting on the move by DAP to drag the people, particularly the party members to defend Lim who is facing corruption charges, including holding the briefing session to the rakyat at the Dewan Seri Pinang, here today.

Last Thursday, Lim, 56, pleaded not guilty at the Penang High Court on two charges of corruption regarding the conversion of an agricultural zone to a housing zone and the purchase of a plot of land and bungalow below the market value.

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