I did not ‘disappear’ from PKR, says ex-MP Lee

 Lee Chean Chung says he became less active in the party after concerns raised through internal channels were allegedly ignored.

Lee Chean Chung has been at odds with the PKR leadership since he attended Bersama’s launch in May and was subsequently issued a show-cause letter.

PETALING JAYA:

Former Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung says he became less active in PKR because the party failed to act on concerns he raised over the “corporate mafia” issue.

Responding to claims that he had been inactive in the party for more than a year, he said there was a reason for his reduced involvement.

“The claim that I had been ‘missing’ from party affairs for more than a year diverts attention from the real reason behind the situation. I became less active after the ‘corporate mafia’ issue, which I raised through internal channels, was ignored,” he said in a Facebook post a day after he announced his resignation as Petaling Jaya MP and said he would resign from PKR on Monday.

In response, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said Lee had not attended party meetings for a year or the party congress in August while PKR deputy secretary-general Bryan Ng claimed that Lee was largely absent from meetings held by the state and local governments, including those to discuss the Petaling Jaya Local Plan.

However, Lee said he raised the “corporate mafia” issue in Parliament in January and met with Anwar in April to propose the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry into the matter.

He also cited an allegation by businessman Victor Chin in March that a PKR MP had requested RM9.5 million to resolve the legal troubles involving the alleged corporate mafia, saying no action had been taken over the allegation.

Lee said that in May, the allocation for his constituency was blocked and the funds handed over to PKR for management, following which he resigned from the party’s central leadership council in June.

“On July 2, I received a show-cause letter from the PKR disciplinary board. I responded to it on July 9, but received no response. I personally sent a letter to the disciplinary board on Aug 20 requesting a hearing to defend myself, but was ignored,” he said.

Lee said the three-year suspension from the party handed to him on Sept 30 amounted to punishment without trial. “The record is clear. I did not disappear. I used every proper channel, and the response I received was silence, restrictions and punishment. Why is the MP who called for an investigation punished, while the MP accused of receiving RM9.5 million is not investigated?” he said.

Lee has been at odds with the PKR leadership since he attended Bersama’s launch in May and was issued a show-cause letter over his presence at the event. He defended his attendance, saying he was merely taking part in activities held in his constituency. - FMT