PKR duo deny behind anti-Guan Eng banners

The two Penang PKR reps recently axed from state government corporations have denied having anything to do with banners criticising Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng over their removals. Bukit Tengah assemblyman Ong Chin Wen and Kebun Bunga assemblyman Cheah Kah Peng said they knew nothing of the banners bearing Lim's photograph flanked by the two of them with the message, "Lim Guan Eng tak patut pecat Ong Chin Wen & Cheah Kah Peng" (Lim should not have sacked Ong and Cheah). Cheah said the banners could be the work of those "unhappy with the oppression", describing them a distraction and a petty move which his party would not be dragged into. "Whatever it is, PKR has moved forward for the sake of the interest of the rakyat. PKR is not going to be dragged into this pettiness. "We have real issues to handle – issues of corruption, cronyism, autocracy, mismanagement, and environment. The banners are just a distraction," he said. Ong in a text message to The Malaysian Insider said the banners were not his nor his party's. The banners were reportedly seen in places around Bukit Bendera, where the Kebun Bunga state seat is located, and Nibong Tebal, the parliamentary constituency of Penang PKR chairman Datuk Mansor Othman. Cheah and Ong were recently dropped as directors of the Penang Hill Corporation, investPenang and Island Golf Properties Bhd, after they abstained from voting against a Barisan Nasional (BN) motion on land reclamation last November at the state assembly. Their abstention, along with three other PKR reps, caused a stir, subjecting them to criticism from their DAP counterparts, particularly Lim, who chairs the state GLCs. Mansor previously said Penang PKR stood by Cheah and Ong and three other reps from the party who abstained from voting. PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has also voiced his unhappiness over the duo's removal. Defending his decision, Lim accused the five PKR reps of "backstabbing" as they had attended a pre-council meeting where a collective decision was made to reject the BN motion. – March 1, 2016.]]>