PKR-DAP spat worsens with row in state assembly
(The Star) SHAH ALAM: The spat between PKR and DAP over claims that a Selangor state executive council member has links with the underworld has taken a turn for the worse, with the fight even reaching the state assembly.
PKR vice-president Azmin Ali said Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong should be allowed to explain the issue clearly to the party so the leadership would understand what was it all about.
“Then, we can consider our next course of action,” he told a press conference at the assembly here yesterday.
He suggested that Wee could have evidence for stating what he did.
Wee had alleged in his blog on Saturday that the office of a certain executive councillor was used as a meeting place for people connected with “underground” business activities.
His allegation had riled many DAP representatives, especially Ronnie Liu and Teresa Kok, who said Wee’s insinuation stemmed from a grudge he held against DAP leaders.
Azmin also confirmed that Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had been summoned by PKR leaders yesterday to explain several issues which had caused a lot of grouses among state party leaders.
The matter also raised temperatures in the House when Azmin brought up Selangor senior exco member Teresa Kok’s recent statement saying that his call for the exco to be reshuffled was a show of arrogance.
Kok had also said that 77% of NTV7 viewers polled last week said they did not agree to an exco reshuffle and added the viewers were happy with the present line-up.
Azmin became agitated and criticised Kok for lambasting him in the media last week.
He said he was just doing his job by representing the conscience of the public by speaking up on the weaknesses in the state government.
“I am not a yes-man like those in the Barisan Nasional. I am merely doing my job,” he said.
Kok did not reply to the statement and by then, Speaker Teng Chang Khim had calmed the situation by telling Azmin that he could speak later.
On Khalid’s meeting with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and other top party leaders, Azmin refused to divulge details.
However, sources said Khalid was called up by the PKR adviser to discuss the appointment of local councillors in Selangor.
The appointment of several councillors to the Ampang Municipal Council and the Shah Alam City Council had irked many local leaders as they were not consulted over the selection.
Earlier in the day, a group of PKR Youth members had gone to meet Azmin at the State Assembly building and handed him a memorandum detailing their grouses over the selection of local councillors.
Meanwhile, Wee said that he would reveal the name of the executive councillor he accused of having ties with the underworld at the appropriate time.
In the latest posting on his blog, he also welcomed the police and other authorities to investigation his allegation.
He also questioned why DAP councillors like Liu and Kok had became “hot under the collar” over his allegation.
“There are also PKR and PAS councillors. None of them have became agitated over my statement. I cannot help but state that ‘siapa makan cili dia terasa pedas’ (only those who are responsible would feel guilty),” he said.
He added that he had not mentioned the name or the political party of the executive councillor in question.
