Monday January 21, 2013

DAP U-turn on Koay

KUALA LUMPUR: The DAP central executive committee, in a dramatic about-turn, has cut short the six-month suspension on Pulau Tikus assemblyman Koay Teng Hai to just a month.

The revised ruling took effect from yesterday.

The party’s national organising secretary Anthony Loke said the CEC decided to reduce the suspension as Koay, in his appeal letter, had apologised and admitted his mistake in not fulfilling his responsibilities.

Loke denied, however, that the reduced suspension was due to the looming general election.

“Whether he will be re-nominated for the next general election is a separate issue,” Loke said.

Koay was away in the United States during a crucial Penang state assembly meeting to pass the state’s anti-party hopping laws on Nov 1, last year.

His absence and that of another assemblyman left the ruling Pakatan Rakyat coalition with just 27 representatives – the minimum number required for a two-thirds majority – to pass the law.

Loke said as chairman of the government backbenchers club, Koay should be present for such an important sitting and should not have defied a written directive from Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to attend the meeting.

In GEORGE TOWN, Koay thanked the CEC for considering his appeal and said the suspension served as a reminder to him and other party members of their responsibility.

“This is a touching moment,” he said in a statement here.

Meanwhile, the Penang DAP accepted the decision to reduce Koay’s suspension.

State party chairman Chow Kon Yeow hoped Koay would learn a “great” lesson from this episode and would put the party’s interests above his personal interest in future.

“The CEC has considered Koay’s appeal seriously and upheld the disciplinary committee’s decision that there was a breach of party discipline but the CEC had decided to accept his appeal by shortening the suspension,” he said in a statement.

News

Monday January 21, 2013

DAP U-turn on Koay