From Malaysiakini- Millions Dangled Before Kedah PKR Reps

'Millions' dangled before Kedah PKR reps

Athi Veeranggan

Feb 3, 09 2:23pm

Kedah executive councillor V Arumugam was allegedly offered up to RM4 million to cross from Pakatan Rakyat to Barisan Nasional (BN). And he was not the only one to have cash dangled before him.

When he failed to take the bait, Arumugam and his family were said to have been threatened while an attempt was made to ‘kidnap’ him.The Bukit Selambau representative and Merbok PKR vice-chairperson had claimed yesterday that agents had made several attempts recently to lure him into the state BN.

Elaborating today when contacted, he said he believes the BN has always been keen to lure the five PKR assemblypersons to secure the numbers to topple the Pakatan government, which holds 22 seats to the BN’s 14.The Pakatan tally comprises 16 for PAS, 5 for PKR and one for DAP. Under the BN umbrella, Umno has 12, while MCA and Gerakan have one each. If all PKR men were to jump ship, BN would have 19 seats against Pakatan’s 17, enough to form a razor-thin majority.

Arumugam, who lodged a police report last week, urged the police to step up their probe.“I am really disappointed that politics have become so dangerous and dirty in this country,” he said.“Hopefully the police will carry out their investigations without fear or favour, and haul up the culprits to face the law. These violent characters must be punished.”

Offers rejected. It is also learnt that other PKR assemblypersons have been approached by agents since the general election last March. They include Bakar Arang assemblyperson and exco Tan Wei Shu and Kulim assemblyperson Lim Soo Nee. Lim said he was contacted twice by different individuals between March and April last year. He was offered between RM1 million and RM4 million.

“The agents did not spell out the party (making the offer) but merely told me to hop to BN,” Lim claimed.

Since Lim did not respond to both offers, the agents never came back to him.

Tan too received similar offers of cash and posts soon after Pakatan took over Kedah, but said he had rejected the idea of party hopping. “I did not want to make a big hue and cry about it because I had to protect my family,” he said, expressing empathy with Arumugam over his ordeal. PKR’s other assemblypersons are Tan Joo Long @ Tan Chow Kang (Sidam) and Mohd Razhi Salleh (Lunas), who is also an executive councillor. Both could not be contacted for comment.

Given the critical political developments in neighbouring Perak, PKR leaders believe that BN will indulge in similar stunts to destabilise the administration of Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak in Kedah. However, Arumugam claimed that all the PKR assemblypersons will remain loyal to the party and to the Pakatan government.