I refer to your news item PKR appoints ex-Guthrie CEO as treasurer that appeared on July 7. The article concludes: 'Abdul Rahman could not be reach for comment'. I wish to inform you that on July 7, I did not receive any missed calls or a request from any of malaysiakini's editorial staff to return their call. I therefore can deduce that no one actually made any effort to reach me and that your statement is contrary to what transpired and is grossly in error.

I would further like to draw your attention to the subheading, 'Causing ripples', supposedly quoting certain PKR supreme council members who have requested anonymity, which disparage my past performance in PKR. As the content under the heading of 'Causing ripples' is untrue and malicious, I find it necessary to reply and present hard facts to your reporter, Tian Chua and the supposedly Anonymous Supreme Council Members (here-in after referred to as Ascos). The hard facts are as follows:

I congratulated Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as the new treasurer-general of PKR and issued a congratulatory statement to him on the morning of his appointment.

My resignation sent to the president was for the position of treasurer-general and chairman of the Economic and Finance Bureau. I never raised the issue of my membership in the party. Tian Chua's insinuation on the possibility of me quitting the party is both provoking and naughty.

Ascos seemed bent on painting me as someone who 'went against the party on numerous occasions, causing confusion among the grassroots and 'has been quite difficult'. However, the instances which Ascos quoted showed continued ignorance, untruth and lack of information.

Ascos have chosen to repeat three-year-old lies on the failed merger to form PKR. To date, PKR is still not a merged entity. PKR is Keadilan which has its constitution amended. PRM still exists as a competing political party.

On what basis do Ascos allege that I was 'never keen on the merger' when I was the person who tabled and argued for the motion to amend Keadilan's constitution to form PKR at the party's EGM in Sungai Petani in November 2002? Ascos then may not even have had the privilege of being in the party's supreme council (MPT). What I had opposed was when PRM short-changed Keadilan as evident with the continued existence of PRM as a competing political party.

I had also opposed attempts to force the MPT of Keadilan to surrender power to the interim MPT made up of Keadilan and PRM supreme council members. It is now opportune to inform Ascos that in the end, the party president acknowledged that I was right in my actions on the merger!

True, I caused ripples by defending my position as deputy president of PKR during the 2004 party election. True, that I initially offered to relinquish the post .True, that the party advisor hinted that there be a 'no contest'. But there was never an MPT resolution for a 'no contest'. As I said before, I contested to send certain messages to some people who are deceitful in managing the party. These deceits were recorded, were discovered by me and acknowledged by the MPT.

I contested to prove that democracy is alive in PKR. I also proved that the contest does not in any way split the party. I was the one who went on stage with the other party leaders after the election results were announced to show party solidarity. I kept the party together.

Ascos' claim that 'we decided not to hold a grudge against him and for the sake of party unity, appointed him a treasurer' is their attempt to act like the president. Ascos should now check with the party advisor and president on how difficult it was for them to get me to accept the posts of vice-president and treasurer-general, which were both offered to me. In truth, I accepted the post of treasurer-general to test whether certain financial plans outlined would materialise.

At the time of my resignation, these plans have not yet materialised. It is worth noting that Ascos mentioned about 'grudge'. I put it to Ascos that they and their like have always harboured grudges against me until today. I also put it to Ascos that during my tenure as treasure-general, Ascos and their like have made several attempts to destroy me. But Ascos failed all the time because I have always done things rightly, transparent, accountably and putting party interests above everything else.

Who told Ascos that PKR is not in support of PAS' Islamic state agenda when PAS launched the Islamic state document (ISD)? True, PKR disassociated itself from the ISD but PKR respected PAS' wishes to pursue their constitutional objectives. When the ISD was launched, I attended as chairman of the Barisan Alternative secretariat. Other PKR leaders also attended and PKR never objected to anyone attending as there was no such decision.

Who now deceived Ascos that there was such a policy? Do the Ascos appear Islamophobic? If so, party members must be on their guard against the Ascos' game-plan to amend the party constitution at this year's congress to delete anything on Islam, Raja Berpelembagaan, Bahasa Melayu, Bumiputera and Orang Asal from the Constitution.

I have always been a hindrance to Ascos to surreptitiously put forth such a game-plan. My absence from the MPT from now on may be a good opportunity for Ascos to execute such a plan. But I have confidence that other MPT members will continue from where I left.

Ascos appear to be adopting personal positions as a party stand. This would include my recent attendance at Dr Mahathir Mohamad's speech jointly organised by 'Malaysia Today' and 36 NGOs. I was a member of the Political Bureau until I recently decided I do not wish to have anything to do with it anymore. That was when I resigned as treasurer-general.

Others may crave to lobby for a position but I am at a stage where I choose what I want plus what I do not want. This is liberation, freedom and independence. It sounds arrogant, but it is apt for the Ascos. Do Ascos claim that they have knowledge of party policies more than I do? Do Ascos not realise that I have knowledge of the constitution and all party rules and procedures at my fingertips. Haven't Ascos found this out?

Malaysiakini must be accountable and responsible for the accuracy of its reports and the credibility of its sources. Hiding behind the statement 'sources who wish to remain anonymous' gives an impression that there were no such sources and that the whole thing was a figment of the writer's imagination. From the way the news item was written and the way it has been slanted against me gives me the impression malaysiakini is in agreement with its 'anonymous sources' and that my decision to contest the post of deputy president was a bad decision and detrimental to the party.

The fact that the party constitution allows such a contest and that it is unconstitutional to prevent such a contest seems to have gone unnoticed. Further to that, the 'no contest' decision was not an MPT decision and was never endorsed by the MPT. So this makes it even more unconstitutional.

It is apparent from the slant of the news item that malaysiakini has, in fact, chosen sides in this matter and the side it has chosen is to paint me in a negative light. For those who do not know better, they would think that malaysiakini is out to promote certain interests or provide a platform for those with an agenda. This, rather than play the role of an independent media in search of the truth.

Editor's note: Malaysiakini would like to state that the reporter who did the story confirms that she had thrice tried to call Abdul Rahman Othman on July 7 but on all occasions only reaching his voicemail facility. She, however, did not leave a message as she planned to contact him again on July 10 for a full interview on his position vis-a-vis certain members of the Keadilan supreme council. He has since agreed to do an interview with malaysiakini .