DAP Chief Denies Forcing Out Fong - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 (Bernama) -- DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang is crying foul, saying that he has been made the "villain" and denied that he was forcing incumbent Batu Gajah member of parliament, Fong Po Kuan to contest in another constituency in the March 8 general election.

The party never asked Po Kuan to change constituencies as all party leaders had expected and fully supported her to contest for the third time in the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat, the Ipoh Timor MP wrote in his blog.

"Very tired, but no thought of sleep until I blog about Fong Po Kuan. Not just because I have been made the villain prompting Po Kuan's announcement that she would not contest in the general election but also because of her qualities," he said.

Lim, who attended two ceramahs with Fong in Batu Gajah parliamentary constituency on Friday night, said he had received calls asking why he had forced the 34-year-old party's assistant publicity secretary and Wanita DAP national organising secretary to retire from politics.

"I never did such a thing and Po Kuan never resigned from the party - but the damage was done, as first impressions (however false) are most lasting, that I had forced Po Kuan to resign from the DAP because I was forcing her to contest in another constituency apart from Batu Gajah. Talking about "eating dead cat"!," Lim wrote.

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=314568]