Hee’s the decider but will she?

By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider

As the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government in Perak wobbles from the Election Commission's decision not to call for by-elections in Behrang and Changkat Jering, doubts continue to be raised about the allegiances of Jelapang assemblyman Hee Yit Foong.

The DAP legislator, who is also deputy state speaker, was not seen at the Perak Sultan's silver jubilee ceremony at the Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar this morning, fuelling speculation about a possible crossover just two days after she had denied such rumours.

As it stands, should Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Mohd Osman Jailu defect to Barisan Nasional (BN), it would reduce PR's advantage to just one-seat in the Perak assembly and a move by Hee would trigger a change of government.

Perak DAP chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham admitted that he had not seen Hee this morning but would not confirm that she had not attended.

"I did not see her there. But there were hundreds of people there so I cannot confirm if she was there or not," he told reporters, adding that it would only be fair to check on her attendance with palace officials.

When quizzed further as to when he last had contact with Hee, Ngeh said that he had spoken to her on Sunday night, the day she was purportedly said to have gone missing to meet MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to discuss a defection.

Hee had told reporters at her home late on Sunday that she had merely been visiting her supporters and had turned her handphone off after being continuously harassed by reporters.

She has continued to be elusive, missing a DAP meeting called at the state headquarters yesterday as well as this morning's royal function.