By Nigel Edgar
KUCHING, June 10: It seems that newly minted president of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK), Voon Lee Shan, has some explaining to do.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen said updated records from the organising secretary showed that Voon is still a DAP member and chairman of the party’s Batu Lintang branch, which had been dormant for more than three years.
As such, Chong said the National DAP Disciplinary Committee would be issuing a letter to Voon to demand an explanation for being associated with another political organisation.
“I congratulate him on his newly elected position as PBK president. But one thing he needs to clarify is that so far on the record of DAP, he’s still a member of DAP. I don’t know if he has tendered his letter of resignation as a member, but our party constitution surely would not allow dual membership position.
“We have checked with the organising secretary; he has not tendered his resignation. Also, for the past few years, although he was last a committee member of Batu Lintang branch, no meetings were held. That was two to three years back already. So, there’s been no annual general meetings (AGM) held by him as the person in charge of Batu Lintang.
“He was the branch chairman in the last AGM held before the branch lay dormant for a few years. Suddenly there’s this news of him being elected as PBK president,” Chong told a press conference this morning.
Chong, however, was quick to point out that the DAP respected the rights of its members to freedom of association, where members could join any association of their choosing.
“You can be president of any party if you get elected by its members. That’s fine. But the constitution of each party has to be complied with.
“We will issue a letter (to Voon) in due course. Some explanation has to be done. If he wants to quit the party, just quit, it doesn’t matter. We cannot force him to be in the party,” Chong said.
Voon, a practising lawyer and former Batu Lintang assemblyman (2006-2011), was elected as PBK president during the party’s inaugural central committee meeting on June 8. — DayakDaily
