Penang PKR Youth demands apology from Lim over Umno motion

Penang PKR Youth has called Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s accusations against its state assemblypersons over a Umno motion as “baseless” and “regrettable” and wants his apology.

In a statement today, the state Youth arm in a collective unsigned statement said such a statement should not have been uttered by the chief minister against those who have supported his leadership since 2008.

“The decision not to vote on the motion on the issue of land reclamation of over 2, 600 hectares cannot be used as a measure of, or to accuse PKR assemblypersons of siding with Umno,” said Penang PKR Youth.

“The five PKR assemblypersons have their own differing opinions and stating their stand during the voting process needs to be respected,” said the group.

Yesterday Lim said PKR should speak to the five assemblypersons, saying, "(The) impression is that they are now together with Umno."

Penang PKR Youth said the DAP secretary-general should instead be focussing his attention on his party’s own Tanjung Bungah assemblyperson who had voted with Umno, rather than the PKR representatives who had abstained.

The group demanded Lim retract his statement against the PKR assemblypersons and apologise.

'Differing opinions of preplanned?'

Meanwhile when asked about the Penang PKR Youth’s statement this morning, PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad when was reluctant to comment, saying he may issue a statement later.

“That is their view. Later I will review the matter, because I too have just read (the statement),” said Nik Nazmi when asked if the PKR National Youth agreed with the statement.

Meanwhile Lim in a statement today questioned if the decision of the five assemblypersons was a personal opinion or a pre-planned effort.

Lim pointed out that other PKR assemblypersons had voted alongside DAP on the motion, one which the chief minister said was "superfluous" as the state already had checks in place, and "devious" as Umno itself had a hand in approving some of the reclamation works.

If the five said they had abstained out of conscience, he asked, what implication would that have on the other PKR representatives.

"Does this mean that their own four PKR assemblypersons holding government posts, namely Penang deputy speaker Maktar Shapee, the three PKR excos of Deputy Chief Minister I Mohd Rashid Hasnon, Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and Afif Bahardin, who voted against Umno’s motion have no conscience?" asked Lim.