‘Suspend all who attended meeting’

The recent leak of a closed-door meeting involving Penang DCM Mansor Othman was a 'clear act of sabotage', claims PKR.

GEORGE TOWN: PKR’s top brass must immediately suspend those who attended the now leaked closed-door unofficial meeting with state chairman Mansor Othman, pending a probe on their alleged internal misconduct.

State PKR information chief Johari Kassim insisted that the leadership should not hesitate to sack any of them if found guilty as charged in the internal investigation.

He said the leak was a clear act of sabotage on the party that the central leadership cannot ignore and step aside.

He said it was obvious that one or more among them could have leaked out the information to serve own selfish interests and the party disciplinary committee must act fast to punish them.

“Obviously the culprits who leaked the meeting details did not hold dear the party’s best interests.

“All those who attended the meeting should be hauled up to the dock and suspended immediately pending investigation.

“If anyone is found guilty, sack instantly to teach others a lesson. It’s the best way to deal with it or else it will happen again,” warned Johari.

Lim ‘cocky and arrogant’
Details of the closed-door meeting between Mansor and party local grassroots Chinese leaders, including elected representatives, were posted in a blog Gelagat Anwar in June.

The meeting was held in May in Mansor’s DCM office in Komtar.

In the leaked details, Mansor had allegedly described Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as “cocky and arrogant”.

However, last Friday, Mansor denied describing Lim as “cocky and arrogant” but admitted saying that Lim was being revered like a “tokong” (deity) by Chinese voters in Penang.

In its postings in June 16, 18 and 19, the blog revealed that PKR’s state deputy chief and Batu Kawan division chief Law Choo Kiang; Bukit Bendera division deputy chief Felix Ooi; Bayan Baru deputy chairman Tan Seng Keat; 2004 candidate for Bayan Baru parliament seat Raymond Ong; Tanjung Youth chief Ng Chek Siang; Batu Uban branch chief Cheah Peng Guan and Mansor’s assistant John Ooi attended the meeting.

Party insiders and political observers view the controversy as part of a conspiracy by certain PKR local reps to kick out Mansor from state PKR altogether.