KLANG: Former Selangor Mentri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo denied offering RM10mil to Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam to leave PKR.

Warning Manikavasagam to stop twisting facts, Dr Khir said he had eyewitnesses who could verify what transpired during a meeting arranged by the former.

“It was Manikavasagam who asked for money to quit his party, not the other way around,” alleged Dr Khir.

“And I told him that it is not Barisan’s policy to pay those who wished to quit their party,” he said.

However, if Opposition MPs quit their party and declare in Parliament that they support Barisan, they would be entitled to the annual RM1mil constituency allocation.

“The allocation is for the consti­tuency including schools and NGOs, not for personal use,” he said, adding that all Barisan MPs and Barisan-friendly MPs were entitled to the allocation.

Dr Khir said this in response to Manikavasagam’s claim that Dr Khir had “jokingly” made the offer.

Manikavasagam had said this when denying allegations in a blog that he had asked RM10mil from Dr Khir to leave PKR.

Manikavasagam claimed that he had received offers from several Barisan Nasional leaders, apart from Dr Khir.

To this, Dr Khir said even if Manikavasagam were to quit PKR, it would not make any difference to Barisan as they would still have a simple majority in Parliament.

“So what is so special about Manikavasagam?

“He arranged for a meeting with me, made his demand, and now is trying to turn the tables around,” he alleged.

Dr Khir said Manikavasagam had said that he wanted to quit PKR because he had problems with certain leaders.

In an immediate response, Manikavasagam admitted that he had criticised some of his party members then, but it did not mean that he had wanted to quit the party.

Manikavasagam also took a swipe at the blogger for stirring up the issue after four years.

“The blogger is out to defame me and Pakatan Rakyat, as the general election is near.

“If I had taken the money, why did Dr Khir not announce it the very next day?

“Such an information would have leaked immediately. It won’t take four years to surface,” he said.

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