In a statement, Lim said Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad of PAS needs the aid more than Kok.

Kok recently blamed ChatGPT over the erroneous translation of a statement she issued on a proposed decision to make halal certification mandatory for all food establishments that do not serve pork and alcohol.

Kok, who is currently being probed over her statement, was reported to have said her original Mandarin statement had been translated into Malay by a colleague using ChatGPT before being posted on Facebook.

This led to PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari pledging RM300 a month to Kok so that she could hire an SPM-qualified assistant to handle Malay translations.

In a riposte, Lim said Fadhli should instead consider donating RM300 a month to his party colleague, Mastura, to hire a researcher to scrutinise her speeches, especially on DAP.

Lim was referring to Mastura’s testimony at the Penang High Court in a defamation suit filed by three DAP leaders after she linked them to the late communist leader, Chin Peng.

Mastura told the High Court that public speeches, such as those made at ceramahs, did not require deep research like thesis papers.

The Kepala Batas MP said political figures did not follow the rigid standards typically used in academic or research settings, and quoting hearsay was acceptable as long as the speech did not go against the constitution.

“I am certain that Fadhli’s donation would be able to help Mastura to avoid making baseless statements,” Lim said.

He went on to say that as one who had a doctorate, Mastura should be more careful when referencing materials, especially ones that contained “fairy tales”.