Gerakan No 2 demands PAS explain why Lau told to ‘go away’

Oh Tong Keong says PAS has disrespected Gerakan president Dominic Lau.

(FMT) – Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong has urged PAS to explain why party chief Dominic Lau was barred from attending an event held by the Islamic party earlier this week.

A video by Malaysiakini showed Lau being prevented by a Penang PAS leader from following the party’s vice-president, Idris Ahmad, on stage. When some protested, the PAS leader could be heard telling Lau “Tak boleh (No, you can’t). You go away.”

Oh said PAS has disrespected Lau, who he pointed out was a Perikatan Nasional deputy chairman and the Penang PN chief.

“Even if Lau wasn’t invited, he is one of PN’s top leaders. The event’s organiser should have treated him as a guest. That was disrespectful,” China Press quoted him as saying.

He said Lau was at the event to meet PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and did not plan on going on stage to speak.

On Tuesday, Lau was reportedly asked to leave a PN ceramah in Sungai Dua after showing up without being invited.

Lau, whose Bayan Lepas candidacy is said to have upset PAS grassroots in the Malay-majority seat, later denied the claim, saying it was “untrue”.

He said he had gone to the ceramah to meet Hadi, but as the event ran late, he left without meeting him.

Previously, Oh had admitted that the issue had led to grouses from Gerakan’s grassroots, though he maintained the party enjoyed an amicable relationship with PAS.