BUTTERWORTH, Nov 24 – The Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said on Monday that the Penang DAP government is only recognising PKR state assemblymen under the leadership of the Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon. He said there were now two groups of PKR state assemblymen, one under Pantai Jerejak state assemblyman (Mohd Rashid) and another one was under Bukit Tengah state assemblymen Ong Chin Wen.
“After the voting was conducted at the assembly last week, two PKR groups have emerged. One led by Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon with two Exco members Dr Afif Bahardin and Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim as well as Deputy Speaker Datuk Maktar Shapee. Five other state assemblymen were led by Ong Chin Wen.
“Today, the head of Bagan PKR branch and state PKR communications director Farid Arshad has expressed support for Datuk Mohd Rashid. I feel it is important for us to know which PKR (state assemblymen) were under leadership of Datuk Rashid and Ong Chin Wen.
“In the meantime, the state government will only recognises the leadership who was under Datuk Rashid because he was the one who selected by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he told reporters after opening a bridge project across a canal at Jalan Pangsapuri Emas here on Monday.
The issue of PKR assemblymen arose when five state assemblymen from the party abstained in a vote carried against a proposal by Muhamad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong) that all land reclamation projects for development were subjected to a public debate at the state assembly on that day (Nov 20).
Five PKR state assemblymen who abstained in the vote were Ong Chin Wen (Bukit Tengah); Dr Norlela Ariffin (Penanti); Lee Khai Loon (Machang Bubuk); Cheah Kah Peng (Kebun Bunga); and Dr T.Jayabalan (Batu Uban). PKR has 10 seats in the assembly. Two more state assemblymen, Datuk Law Choo Kiang (Bukit Tambun); and Datuk Maktar Shapee (Sungai Bakap) could not vote as they were the speaker and deputy speaker respectively.
The five, however, left it to the PKR top leadership to resolve the issue. Asked on the demand by Penang Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) who wanted Lim to retract his statement and apologise publicly for labeling the five as siding with UMNO, the Chief Minister declined to comment.
In the meanwhile, Lim who is also DAP secretary-general, said that the Penang DAP government will accepted with an open heart to the resignation of 1,083 PAS members who was as a Community Development and Security Committee (JKKK) members in the state.
“We thanked them for their services before this. We will discuss other matters until we have received the letters. I felt PAS members who became members of Parti Amanah Negara can continue their service,” he said. On Sunday, the Penang state PAS Liaison Committee directed all 1,083 JKKK members from the party in the state to resign with immediate effect.
