Karim said Lim was “stupid” to deny that federally-administered village community management councils were being set up as a Pakatan Harapan “weapon” to capture power in Sarawak at the state elections due before September 2021.

“What a stupid finance minister Malaysia is having,” said Abdul Karim, referring to Lim by his cabinet position.

“What Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg was implying when he commented on Lim’s speech in Miri was that it was finally made known that the setting up of MPKKP (the federal councils) is political in nature and a tool to take over the state government,” he told FMT.

Karim said Pakatan Harapan’s intention was contrary to earlier claims by Sarawak DAP that the councils were being formed in order to disseminate federal government information to people at grassroots level.

The decision to set up federally-administered councils came after the Sarawak state secretary had instructed community leaders not to attend any event organised by PH leaders.

Earlier today, Lim denied that the councils were a PH “weapon” to capture Sarawak in the state elections.

“I had never used such words and I challenge Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg to show proof that I had referred to MPKKP in that manner,” he said. He accused Abang Johari of “”putting such words, especially ‘weapon’, into my mouth”.

However, Lim was reported to have said that the federal government had agreed to the setting up of the council to prepare for the coming state elections.

Following this, Abang Johari said the formation of the MPKKP was “clearly Pakatan Harapan’s ‘weapon’ to capture Sarawak”.

Lim then described Abang Johari’s accusation against him as a “desperate” attempt by the ruling state coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak to hide their “unholy alliance” with Umno and PAS.