Embattled Penang PAS treasurer Iszuree Ibrahim says he will not apologise for bringing up issues concerning the rakyat, even if the state government sacks him from his municipal councillor post.

Speaking to Malaysiakini , Iszuree said he received information that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had conveyed the message at a meeting with PAS leaders, including state deputy commissioner Mujahid Yusof Rawa, over his case on Oct 2.

“Why should I say sorry when I was merely talking about the people’s issues?

“Is it wrong now to bring up the rakyat’s issues? It is not something personal,” Iszuree ( left ) asked.

“If this happens during BN’s time, it is okay. But this time, it is happening under Pakatan Rakyat.”

However, Iszuree said he never spoke to Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia who quoted him as saying so in an article published today headlined ‘ Saya tidak akan tunduk pada DAP - Iszuree ’ (I will never bow to DAP).

The report also said Iszuree complained that some PAS leaders in Penang were more inclined to take the DAP’s side than his.

“I did not say these things to them,” Iszuree said when told about the report.

An Utusan Malaysia source said this afternoon the report was based on information gathered during a ceramah in Teluk Kumbar last night, at which Iszuree spoke on the same issue.

Iszuree is also upset that the state executive council, via a statement read out by one of its members - Dr Afif Bahardin - yesterday accused Iszuree of having slandered the Penang government over a speech he made about the state’s squatter policy, during the party’s muktamar on Sept 19 in Johor.

Iszuree's speech was also published by Malaysiakini in a report titled ‘PAS delegate: Penang pro-developer, like BN’, in which Iszuree insists he was misquoted.

Malaysiakini , however, is standing by its story.

“Please show proof where I have slandered the state government or else this is a slander towards me and I feel I have to defend myself in court,” Iszuree said.

“The statement saying I have slandered the state is not fair to me,” he lamented.

Iszuree is consulting his lawyers over the matter, saying he will sent a letter to this news portal to demand a retraction.

He questioned Malaysiakini ’s agenda, asking if it was a ”conspiracy” with the DAP, since action was taken against him based on the article.

“I am disappointed because Malaysiakini had always been my first source of news,” he said.

Decision not to reinstate Iszuree

Despite PAS intervention in the issue, the state government has decided not to reinstate Iszuree into the three sub-committees in MPPP which he was earlier barred from attending.

His budget allocation, which was earlier frozen, will now be handled by Penang PAS although he remains an MPPP councillor, a post he held since 2008 until the end of this year.

In a press conference in Komtar yesterday, Afif ( left ) said it is up to Iszuree to apologise for his actions, which had violated the professional ethics of his job, but the state did not demand for him to do so.

Afif also expressed regret that Iszuree did not attend the Oct 2 meeting with Lim, to which Iszuree said he had a prior meeting with the Kelantan state exco on land matters.

“I am just like a puppet now. I only have two months to go as a councillor. If they sack me now it would be quite embarrassing,” Iszuree said.

“I will continue to serve the people through my party, which I have done since day one,” added the state party land bureau chief.