Hee Yit Foong, the Jelapang assemblywoman who quit DAP two months ago to back BN in the shock takeover of the Perak government, met the press today - 48 hours before three crucial by-elections.

hee yit foong pc at kl 050409 01 At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur’s Times Square this afternoon, Hee repeatedly denied that she left DAP for money.

According to her, she resigned from DAP because of “internal party problems”.

Hee, the first disable woman to become deputy speaker in the Perak Assembly, was one of four state representatives to withdrew support for the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

She joined Changkat Jering assemblyman Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu and Behrang assemblyman Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, both from PKR, to become BN-friendly independents on Feb 4.

The fourth was Bota representative Nasharuddin Hashim from Umno, who had earlier defected to PKR but returned to the party’s fold.

Hee said she decided to meet the media today as journalists have been pressing her to explain her actions.

“It has nothing to do with the by-elections,” she stressed, referring to Tuesday’s vote in Bukit Gantang in Perak, Bukit Selambau (Kedah) and Batang Ai (Sarawak).

Hee’s surprise press conference also came in the wake of Najib Abdul Razak - the architect of the Perak power grab - being appointed as prime minister.

Hee shows her passport

Hee strenuously denied that she went overseas during the two months where she had been hardly seen in public. At the press conference, she showed journalists her passport to prove her assertion.

hee yit foong pc at kl 050409 02 Since her desertion of DAP, Hee - who walked with a limp after a polio attack when she was four - has faced widespread criticism.

During a visit to her Jelapang service centre early last month, she was confronted by a group of angry residents who called her a "traitor" and "an ungrateful woman".

She reportedly left soon after fearing for her safety.

At the press conference, Hee explained that she supported the formation of a BN government in Perak so that her Jelapang constituency could benefit from development funds.

Hee, who is likely to be appointed an exco in the BN government, also warned DAP leaders not to launch personal attacks against her.