LGE, Mansor shake off effects of teacup tempest

A day after nerves were rendered taut in the DAP-PKR relationship stemming from the contents of a surreptitiously recorded meeting that purported to show Deputy Chief Minister Mansor Othman deriding Lim Guan Eng, the two principals were able to relax in congenial company.

The latter was provided by Abdul Malek Abul Kassim, the PKR state executive councilor whose Aidilfitri open house in Batu Maung, Penang, saw Chief Minister Lim and deputy Mansor drop in to celebrate the occasion.

All the tension of the previous two days when the purported contents of the recorded meeting were ventilated - to Mansor’s acute chagrin - dissipated in the glow of the welcome rendered the two VIP invitees at Malek’s open house.

Mansor made a beeline for where Lim was seated and the latter, an early arrival at Malek’s open house, held out a warm greeting to the DCM.

The two who have not been known to have any strong disagreements in the 38 months that Mansor has been DCM got down quickly to exchanging notes and small talk.

Fraught with tension

Mansor had been visibly fraught with tension the past couple of days as the effects of the alleged remarks he made at the PKR meeting reverberated across the ruling state coalition. 

It is understood Lim felt that Mansor had been more sinned against than sinning in the entire contretemps while Mansor, incredulous at the treachery implied by the act of recording the meeting and then uploading it, is crestfallen that someone from within the state PKR circles could attempt to do him in.

However, at Malek Kassim’s open house, both a benign CM and a rebounding DCM were out to prove that the entire episode is only a tempest in a teacup, with no lasting effects on their personal relationship and that between their parties.