By Geryl Ogilvy
KUCHING, June 12: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) today asked Democratic Action Party (DAP) to look at their constitution before claiming ownership to the membership of former Batu Lintang assemblyman Voon Lee Shan.
Its central committee member Richard Chiong said Voon, who was appointed PBK’s new president on June 8, should have had his membership with DAP terminated automatically as the party’s constitution does not allow dual membership.
He cited Clause III (3) of the DAP constitution, which stated that ‘any member of the Party shall, on becoming a member of any political party or organisation ancillary or subsidiary thereto, cease forthwith to be a member of the Party’.
“It seems that DAP wants to claim ownership over Voon, who should be given the freedom to move around and associate with whoever he wants.
“We like to question the senior leaders of their party (DAP). Do they not comply or are clear with their own party regulations before making a press statement?
“This will make fellow Sarawakians doubt their credibility and recognition of their party,” Chiong told a press conference in response to DAP’s claim that Voon is still a DAP member.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen and organising secretary Violet Yong had made public statements over the matter.
Chong demanded that Voon, the newly minted PBK president, explain his membership. If Voon wanted to leave DAP, he should do it in a proper way, advised the Kota Sentosa assemblyman.
Yong said the party would issue a show cause letter to Voon to seek an explanation of his dual membership.
The Pending assemblywoman said DAP had never sacked Voon despite his allegation that he was sacked by the party on the eve of nomination day for the 2011 state election. She added that Voon, who joined DAP on Aug 1, 1999, as a life member, had never tendered any resignation letter from the party.
In this regards, Chiong said PBK would not entertain the show cause letter expected to be issued by DAP.
“There are so many (former) members of DAP who left quietly from their party. Former Padungan assemblyman Dominique Ng is also no more with DAP but did he tender his resignation letter? If not, DAP should also raise this issue. Why keep quiet?” he asked.
Ng was a DAP candidate for Padungan in the 1996 state election but joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in 1999.
Ng, the only PKR candidate to win in the 2006 state election, quit the party to contest as an independent candidate after being dropped from the PKR line up for the 2011 state election.
Chiong claimed many members who are still in DAP had continued to show support to Voon over the years, amid the belief that Voon was sacked from the party.
“The people of Sarawak wants Voon to come back to active politics through PBK and not through DAP because people know DAP can no longer fulfil the aspirations of Sarawakians. They want Voon to lead Sarawak in its quest for independence from Malaysia, which DAP can’t do,” he said. — DayakDaily
