Thesun 2009-06-22 Page04 Conspiracy Against Me Huan

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theSun

| MONDAY JUNE 22 2009

news without borders

Conspiracy against me: Huan

Nik Aziz finally accepts unity talks with Umno

by Opalyn Mok

KOTA BARU: In a change of heart, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has agreed to the unity talks with Umno but with conditions. He said he could accept the unity talks but it should be pursued through proper channels and the talks should only revolve around Islamic issues. “It cannot ignore decisions made at PAS meetings and it shouldn’t be decided at one’s whim and fancy,” said the Kelantan Mentri Besar. “If one wants to pursue the unity story, let’s present it to the PAS Central Committee first, have it deliberated at the state level and then bring it up to the opposition alliance. Now the opposition alliance is angry with us,” he said at the MB’s official residence here yesterday. Denying that he is a headstrong person, Nik Aziz said he was instead ‘’istiqamah’’ (steadfast) in pursuing the truth.

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GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan vice-president Huan Cheng Guan, who was suspended by the party’s central working committee (CWC) on Saturday, yesterday denounced the decision as a conspiracy against him. He slammed the party leaders for scheming and taking action against its own members when they can’t even defend the party from attacks by the Opposition or outsiders. “I urge the CWC to take legal action against (businessman) Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping who had blamed party president and former Penang chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon’s inaction for the slow development of Penang,” Huan told theSun in a telephone interview. “Tan had condemned Koh over the way he managed the state when he was the chief minister. So, if the CWC has any backbone at all, they should take legal action against Tan for his comments against Koh,” he said. Huan, who was apparently livid over his threeyear suspension from the party, also alleged that the party leaders are only good at scheming and taking action against party members. “When they are faced with the Opposition, they are like a headless chicken and are unable to defend themselves,” he said. As for his suspension from the party, Huan said it is obvious the action was due to fear on the party leaders’ part. “This is obviously a conspiracy against me as they are worried about my popularity amongst the grassroots and members,” he said. Huan said he won the vice-president post in the previous party elections because of his popularity even though he was not a “favourite” among the leaders, especially former party president Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik. “They are trying to get rid of me because they are worried about me contesting in the next party elections. They are afraid of me and they are afraid

even of my shadow,” he added. Huan also condemned the CWC for taking the decision of suspending him without giving him any chance to explain himself. “They like to condemn MCA, DAP or even Umno and say Gerakan is always transparent and full of conscience, but what’s this? “Even in Umno, a person in question is called in to explain to the committee before a decision is made,” he said. He said the right way to go about it is for the CWC to form a disciplinary committee to investigate the matter and also to call him in for questioning before making any decisions. “They can’t simply call a CWC meeting and decide to suspend me. Who knows what was discussed in the CWC? They could even say I received RM10mil from Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and I won’t be able to defend myself at all,” he said. Huan slammed the CWC’s allegation that he was instigating some party members to put up banners and some 5,000 members to quit the party. “They think these members can’t think for themselves? They can’t just blame this on me,” he said. As to whether this means he will quit the party for good, Huan said he will wait and see for now. On Saturday, Gerakan issued a statement on the CWC’s decision to take disciplinary action against Huan by suspending him for three years. The reasons cited were Huan’s conduct in openly attacking the party and its leadership and threatening to take his supporters out of the party. Late last month, Huan reportedly said he would quit the party due to his unhappiness with the party leadership and he was issued a show-cause letter to explain his public outburst. However, on June 15, Huan said he would continue to be a Gerakan member and was willing to face the consequences.

Theft of public land is no petty crime pg 12

He said he had opposed the unity talks proposed by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as he stands by the decision made at the party’s muktamar in Ipoh last year when it had agreed to go along with the opposition alliance. “Stubborn means being adamant in defending what is wrong. “When we know something is wrong but we will not back down, that is stubborn. But when we know what is true, what is right, that is ‘istiqamah’. “So if there are certain quarters in PAS who want unity with the opposition coalition and at the same time they want unity with Umno, then it spells trouble. Do not do that,” said Nik Aziz. He said he will meet PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa and Hadi along with other PAS leaders today to talk out their differences. — Bernama

Penang PKR Youth says ‘no’ to Huan by Himanshu Bhatt [email protected]

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang PKR Youth Wing has expressed opposition to Gerakan vice-president Huan Cheng Guan, who has been suspended from his party for three years, joining PKR. In a statement yesterday, Penang PKR youth vice-chairman and Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin said PKR members had observed a trend among Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders to often use PKR as a “jumping platform” to further negotiate with their respective parties. He pointed to an an earlier incident when Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah, Umno’s Seberang Jaya assemblyman, had said he might cross over to PKR during a public tiff with his party’s division leaders in Permatang Pauh. In a second high-profile incident, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had in his spat with his president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat also threatened to cross

over to PKR. “Huan has never indicated his intention to join Keadilan to fight for justice, human rights and democracy. All the while he threatened to leave because he lost his position and influence in his party,” Sim said. “Also, his track record fell short of any substantial effort in improving democracy, rule of law and idealism to fight for social justice for the rakyat.” “The grassroots among PKR despise these opportunistic BN leaders and urge the leadership to reject Huan,” Sim added. “The grassroots are worried that these opportunistic BN leaders will bring in bad practises such as corruption, nepotism, money politics, and factionalism.” “We believe that he has no moral high ground to join the party and would gravely affect PKR’s standing and image as a progressive reformed party.” Sim stressed, however, that PKR welcomed any Malaysian who had idealism and conviction, especially the youth to join because of their will to bring in changes.