It was amusing to read your report “Teng wants Guan Eng to explain” (NST, March 27) where the Gerakan state Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan remarked that the Penang chief minister “owed the people an explanation over the detention of his deputy”.

Teng claimed that the case contradicted the state government’s principles of competency, accountability and transparency”. Nothing could be further from the truth.

On the contrary, the case reinforces those principles as the chief minister did not in any way obstruct the investigation into the conduct of his deputy by the authorities.

In fact, he gave them his full cooperation in the probe.

It is rather silly of Teng to suggest the CM “picked the wrong person to run the state government”.

For Teng’s information, Guan Eng is not a clairvoyant. The notion of a “wrong person” being picked can only be considered with the benefit of hindsight.

It is a well-understood fact that leaders appoint executives in good faith and in their best judgment.

The operative clause is “in good faith and best judgment”. What happens subsequently is beyond anyone’s control.

DR A. SOORIAN, Seremban

Source: NST – March 31, 2009