‘I EVEN TURNED DOWN OFFER FOR A FULL MINISTER POST’ – TEBRAU MP STEVEN CHONG DENIES HE’S THE PKR MP SET TO BE THE NEXT TO JUMP SHIP TO PERIKATAN – EVEN AS ANOTHER AZMIN LOYALIST TIAN CHUA GETS READY TO LAUNCH ‘NGO’, YET HAS EVERY INTENTION TO CONTEST IN GE15

 Tebrau MP Steven Choong (centre in blue shirt) cutting the ribbon to officiate the newly built school hall in SJK (C) Pandan on Thursday sept 19

JOHOR BARU: Tebrau MP Steven Choong Shiau Yoon (pic) has rubbished allegations that he and several PKR members have set up an NGO as an exit route from the party.

Choong said that the rumours on social media that he and two other PKR members leaving the party were baseless and untrue.

“I am disappointed that in the last few days there was a post, which specifically mentioned my name and two others.

“It alleged that we have set up an NGO as an exit from PKR since there is no place for us in PKR because of our previous affiliation with those who have left the party to form the Perikatan Nasional government,” he said in a statement released here on Sunday (May 24).

He noted that after the fall of Pakatan Harapan government, he posted on his Facebook page that it was about time for him to go back to his auditing and tax profession.

“That was because the number of cases to be handled by my service centre had reduced by almost 80% in the first two days of March and my assistants were suddenly very free.

“However, they wanted to maintain at least 50% of the level of services we used to render in the last 22 months and hence, an NGO named EcoSocial Movement (Gerakan EcoSosial) was set up in March 2020 to help us raise funds as well as recruiting volunteers for works,” he said.

He added that the rumours associating him and the NGO with the allegation that the latter was set up as an exit tool to leave PKR was baseless and untrue.

“Factional politics had started in the Tebrau constituency since the end of the GE14 and people of two rival political parties have also begun to find ways to discredit me,” he said

He added that during the collapse of the Pakatan government two months back, he had even turned down an offer for a full minister post from the other side.

“I remain committed to serving the people, the ideals of social justice and the reform agenda for all Malaysians.

“I hope to continue representing the people of Tebrau in Parliament and to speak on their behalf, free of dirty politics,” he said. – ANN

Tian Chua to set up new NGO after Raya, says not quitting politics

PKR vice-president Tian Chua is looking to set up a new “activism-orientated” NGO in order to take action amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, he said, this does not mean he is announcing his retirement from politics.

“I want to go back to some form of activism […] just to get the energy back otherwise things have been so down at the moment.

“At the moment, I do not have a parliamentarian role anyway so I am not leading any political party but (with this new NGO) I will at least have the opportunity to intervene in the situation of Covid-19. I see that’s the only way out.

“I see the political situation is quite fluid and I am not an MP so there is no role for me there […] so it is better for me to concentrate on something I have been good at,” Tian Chua said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

He said he would be part of the leadership in this NGO, but he is also looking for other activists and new people to join the movement as well.

The NGO will be formally launched sometime after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, he said.

When asked whether this means he would be taking a step back from politics, he said he still intends to contest in elections in the future.

“If your question is about whether in the future would I still be standing in elections and getting back into politics, the answer is still yes.

“(I am not) somebody who is announcing their retirement from politics and then a few months later tries to come back,” he said with a laugh.

He said he has not been active in PKR for a while now because the party has been concentrating a lot on issues over Parliament and who is holding power in the government.

He reiterated that he is not an MP so his involvement in such matters would not count anyway.

Yesterday, he had posted on his Facebook about a new initiative to “reinvigorate hope and motivation through action after long deliberation and discussion among comrades and supporters”.

“The nation is now facing one of our toughest challenges in history. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a global economic downturn.

“Obviously, lower-income groups and marginalised communities are the most hard hit by the worsening economic situation.

“In this context, there is an urgent need to mobilise society for self-help actions. We need to support and stand in solidarity with each other’s struggles,” said Tian in the post.

He pointed to the numerous self-organised movements to provide aid and assistance to the vulnerable during the movement control order (MCO) and said these efforts have manifested a “spirit of sharing and caring” among ordinary citizens.

While he acknowledged that it was undoubtedly the government’s obligation to prepare and provide support for all Malaysians, he said the effectiveness of any state intervention depended on the competence and integrity of the authorities.

“We cannot afford to sit back passively and expect that improvement will just happen smoothly and automatically.

“In addition to depending on and calling for necessary government action, we need to mobilise ourselves.

“As concerned and able citizens, now is the time for us to demonstrate our commitment to nation-building and defending the suffering people. This is also the time to organise community energy with the spirit of voluntarism,” he said.

As such, he proposed to assemble like-minded individuals under one umbrella network committed to the joint effort of “rebuilding our people’s and nation’s strength and vitality”.

The initiative’s mission, he said, included a society for equitable sharing of wealth and resources, promoting social cohesion and harmonious social relations in order to forge a united and progressive Malaysia, ensuring sustainable development free from destructive effects on the climate and the environment as well as organising and encouraging more effective voluntary actions through participation and working collectively.

“This will be an activism orientated organisation that welcomes the participation and contribution of all people across gender, ethnicity, religion and partisan affiliation,” Tian Chua said in his Facebook post. MKINI

ANN / MKINI