Tebrau MP denies leaving PKR, claims he turned down minister post

PKR’s Tebrau MP Steven Choong Shiau Yoon has denied plans to exit the party, alleging he even turned down a full ministerial position “from the other side” when the change in government was taking place.

Choong said this in response to purported claims he formed an NGO - EcoSocial Movement - as an “exit tool” from PKR in order to join Gerakan.

“I am disappointed (that) in the last few days there was a post specifically mentioning my name and two others, 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 left the party to form the (Perikatan Nasional) PN government.

“[...] During the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government... I even turned down an offer of a full minister post from the other side. Hence, I remain committed to serving the people, the ideals of social justice and the reform agenda for all Malaysians,” he said in a statement today.

The lawmaker speculated such rumours to be the work of rival politicians within the Tebrau constituency and other political parties.

This came following a report in news portal Free Malaysia Today yesterday which quoted "party insiders" as saying another MP is set to quit PKR today.

In what has been deemed the “Sheraton Move”, former PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali and 10 others from his faction pulled out of PKR on Feb 24 to form an independent bloc in the Dewan Rakyat.

Choong was among those initially expected to make the move with Azmin but failed to do so.

The political manoeuvre was called the "Sheraton Move" as Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, other Bersatu leaders and Azmin's faction within PKR met with then opposition Umno and PAS MPs at the Sheraton hotel the night before.

Following this, Bersatu also exited Harapan and together with Azmin’s faction, joined forces with Umno and PAS.

The move ultimately led to the collapse of the Harapan-led government and Muhyiddin being sworn in as premier of the new PN government instead.

Meanwhile, Chong explained that the NGO was established in March to raise funds and to recruit volunteers to render services to his constituency following the collapse of the Harapan government.

“After the fall of the Harapan government, I did write a post on March 3 that it was about time I went back to my auditing and tax profession because the number of cases to be handled by my service centre had reduced by almost 80 percent in the first two days of March.

“My assistants were suddenly very free, but they wanted to maintain at least 50 percent of the level of services that we used to render in the last 22 months. Hence, an NGO named EcoSocial Movement was set up in March 2020 to help us raise funds as well as recruit volunteers for work.

“The post associating me to the NGO... and the allegation that this was done because it serves as an exit tool for me from PKR is baseless and untrue,” he said. - Mkini