Najib regrets Lee chose job over party - NST

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional deputy chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday described the resignation of Gerakan's Datuk Lee Kah Choon from the party as "unfortunate".

"It is unfortunate that he has chosen to accept the positions," he said, referring to Lee's appointment as director of the Penang Development Corporation and investPenang from the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

Gerakan had issued a show-cause letter to Lee on Tuesday.

The next day, the former Health Ministry parliamentary secretary and Gerakan deputy secretary-general, who had quit all party positions two weeks ago, announced that he was leaving the party.

Najib, the deputy prime minister, said Lee's acceptance of the two positions made his membership of a BN component party untenable.

"That is a clearly stated policy of BN," Najib said on the last day of the Defence Services Asia 2008 exhibition and conference here yesterday.

[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Friday/National/2223028/Article/index_html]