DAP slammed recently-defected Malim Nawar state assemblyperson Keshvinder Singh, alleging that he was strapped for cash.

dap pc on keshvinder quit party 160610 ngeh koo ham Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham ( left ) said that Keshvinder has been bogged down by financial problems and personal issues for a long time.

Keshvinder tendered his resignation to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng yesterday, claiming that there was not enough development funds for his constituency.

He had also alleged ‘too much politicking’ as his reason for quitting and his belief that only BN can help develop the area, which is largely rural.

“I would like to disclose what might have triggered him to jump - firstly, his financial problem; and secondly, which I won’t disclose in detail, is his personal problems,” said Ngeh.

“When he came back from the Sibu by-election, he said his car had been repossessed after he failed to settle his installments for a few months.”

Ngeh said that Titi Serong state assemblyperson and Backbencher Council chairperson Khalil Idham Lim had extended a RM3,500 loan to Keshvinder for him to settle the outstanding amount.

Keshvinder's financial crisis did not end there, Ngeh said. Keshvinder was hit with more problems last month when his clerk embezzled RM45,000 from his law firm.

“He informed us that his clerk had committed criminal breach of trust (CBT) in his office and some RM45,000 of clients’ money had vanished and he asked for our help.

“We advised him to lodge a police report. As lawyers we know if our staff take our money, we are covered by professional insurance. He said he would make a complaint but I don’t know whether he has done so.

“Thirdly, I received complaints from the Ipoh Royal Club that he has yet to pay his subscription and his name has been posted as a defaulting member of the club.

“He told me that we should help him as it would tarnish his image as a DAP elected representative. In fact I did, I personally spoke to him two weeks ago about his financial problem and he refused to explain in detail and said he was okay.”

Ngeh added that DAP was willing to bail him out of his problems and many people have occasionally loaned him hundreds of ringgit to ease his burden.

“The issue of us not caring is unjust. He must blame himself for the predicament he is in when he accepted the offer from Umno to jump,” he said.

Ngeh: Swear you didn’t take the money

keshvinder singh The Beruas parliamentarian also challenged Keshvinder ( left ) to take an oath and swear in a Sikh temple that he did not “benefit” from his departure.

“We know that he has received offers so many times before, surely there must have been an offer this time.”

Citing Keshvinder’s report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) last year complaining that he was offered RM20 million to defect, declare himself Independent and express support for BN, Ngeh said:

“He resisted the temptation when Pakatan Rakyat ruled the state. During the last month, he was approached by Umno agents asking him to jump. Umno and BN are behind this... maybe this time around he had to succumb due to his financial problems.”

Furthermore, the MACC failure to investigate the complaint is also a reason behind this defection, he added.

“Yesterday, when I met Minister (in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd) Nazri (Abdul Aziz) and the MACC chief in Parliament, I asked them why two years after the report was made, and I had given a statement to them, giving the names of those involved in the corrupt money affair, no news had been forthcoming from them.

“So Keshvinder might have got the impression that corruption is okay, as long as it involves the BN and the image of MACC as a toothless tiger remains... nothing happens.”

He urged for the authorities to come clean on the reports made by DAP on the bribery claims and added that he, too, had received complaints of representatives who are unhappy with Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir.

“It is no surprise to us because on Monday night, we received information from Umno sources that many Umno elected representatives are unhappy with Zambry and they want to come over to our side, and after discussion we said no.

“We will never take power without the peoples’ mandate. We told them (to issue a vote of) no confidence in Zambry, force him to dissolve the assembly and for fresh election to be called.”

Ngeh said that they were relentlessly looking for Keshvinder after they were notified about his decision to quit.

“We discovered his house was in darkness but his wife’s car was there. When (we) called his personal assistant, he said he (Keshvinder) was on holiday... obviously a lie. He didn’t specify the place he was going.

“Then we saw him appear at Holiday Villa in Subang announcing his departure... from information received, the offer was in the millions, though not as much as RM20 million as mentioned earlier because that would have brought down the government,” Ngeh said.

Keshvinder could not be reached for comments despite repeated calls to his mobile phone.

VIDEO | 22 mins