Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said on Tuesday that he is willing to go to jail if he is found guilty of making wrong statements over the New Economic Policy. -- AP

Acting state police chief Datuk Salleh Mat Rasid said on Wednesday that giving police a statement was a normal procedure in police investigations.

'Anybody can be hauled up to give a statement to assist in investigations, including the chief minister,' he told reporters.

Mr Lim had earlier said that he was willing to be jailed, if he was found guilty of making wrong statements.

'I am prepared to face action of there is anything wrong with my statements,' he said.

He said his conscience was clear because the state government was only trying to implement what was outlined in the federal government's financial guidelines.

'I am fully aware that even though I am a Chief Minister today, it does not mean that I will never be jailed again,' said Mr Lim who had been jailed before under the Printing Press Act, Sedition Act and Internal Security Act.

He said on Tuesday the implementation of the open tender system for projects worth RM50,000 (S$22,000) and above was in accordance with federal guidelines.

'I have to be prepared to face any possibilities. But my advice (to the media) is please report what I said, which was to stop corruption and do not try to interpret them,'he said in response to police investigations into articles that appeared in the newspapers.

He regretted that the police were recording statements from the China Press and Nanyang Siang Pau reporters.

'Everything they need to know is clearly stated in the press statements,' he said.

Police are investigating the matter following a police report lodged by lawyer Abu Backer Sidek Mohamad Zain on March 14 that Mr Lim had made a 'very sensitive statement' to the Malays. - THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, BERNAMA