Keshvinder: I wasn't offered cash

Everyone knows that MONEY was involved. Worst still, Keshvinder Singh was facing monetary problems, unable to keep paying his dues.

Malim Nawar assemblyperson Keshvinder Singh has today denied that he was allegedly offered money by Umno to resign from DAP to become an Independent.

"I resigned from the party of my own free will and there was no money politics involved," he revealed toMalaysiakinitoday.

"Why should BN give me money to resign when they are ruling the state?" he asked.

"In fact, many members of BN were as surprised as DAP members when I quit the party," he pointed out.

He said certain quarters had painted a wrong picture of him facing acute financial problems, was desperate for money and that was the reason he jumped ship to support of BN.

He alleged that he was unhappy with the party that is why he resigned from the DAP, without elaborating further.

"How can they say that I am facing financial difficulties when I have a bank balance of RM35,000 in my account as of May?"

The lawyer rubbished the claim that RM45,000 of his client's money missing from his office and that his former office clerk was allegedly involved.

"I sacked my clerk for misconduct on April 30 and had lodged a police report over the matter on May 3," he clarified.

As for the personal loan of RM3,500 given to him by Khalil Idham Lim of PAS (left), Keshvinder claimed the money was for constituency matters.

"I never approached Khalil but it was he who gave me the money after I returned from the Sibu by-election as I was facing some shortage of funds for my constituency."

"In fact Khalil, a kind hearted man, had been helping me financially in my times of need since last year.

"He too has helped Buntong assemblyperson A Sivasubramaniam when he faced a shortage of funds for his constituency," he said.

Keshvinder explained that due to emergencies like fire and flooding cases, the monthly budget for his constituency sometimes dips into the red.

'Don't be a busybody'

The furious Malim Nawar assemblyperson blasted Sungkai assemblyperson and DAP state vice-chief A Sivanesan (below) for interfering in his personal matters.

"Don't be a busybody and don't interfere in my Malim Nawar constituency - concentrate on your own constituency and solve its problems," he said.

Keshvinder said that he is now preparing programmes and plans to develop his constituency, and he will soon go not only to voters in Malim Nawar but also to Mambang Diawan and other areas to explain his resignation from DAP.

"I know when to explain my reasons for quitting the party to my voters and I don't need Sivanesan to throw challenges at me to answer."

He said the reason he chose Subang Jaya and not Malim Nawar to announce his resignation from DAP to become an Independent was fear of backlash and harassment from his former party members.

As to the two bodyguards that were present during his media conference in Subang Jaya, he said they were provided by his friends for his personal protection.

He said he went away with his family for a week-long vacation in Australia recently to take a break from the stresses of Malaysian politics, and now he is now back in Kampar where both his home and legal office are situated.

On the SMS circulating that he will be holding a meet-the-people session at Kampar Rest House tomorrow to explain his jumping ship, he clarified that he did not send the SMS.

It was done by his supporters who were angry with the adverse publicity that he was receiving from his party and the public.

That function has since been cancelled, he added.

courtesy of Malaysiakini