Several Penang PKR grassroots leaders today criticised deputy secretary-general VS Raveentharan for calling on Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Hashim to quit the party gracefully.

 

They also want the party top leadership to take stern action against Raveentharan, the Batu Uban assemblyperson, for breaching the party code of ethics.

 

The leaders comprised PKR Bayan Baru division permanent chairperson Ismail Mohd Ali, vicechairperson M Nyanasegaran and youth vice-chairperson Annuar Ismail, and Bukit Gelugor division vicechairpersons Roslan Rahmanshah and R Karnan

 

Zahrain is Bayan Baru chairperson while Raveentharan helms Bukit Gelugor. Ironically Bayan Baru constituency encompasses Batu Uban.

 

The five PKR leaders now plan to lodge a complaint with the party leadership and Anwar Ibrahim regarding Raveentharan’s open criticisms against Zahrain.

 

They were particularly offended with Raveentharan’s comment, quoted in the press, that “Zahrain is a weekend MP who failed to address and resolve his constituency issues.”

 

They demanded Raveenthran to retract his statement immediately or quit the party gracefully.

 

Annuar hit out at Raveentharan as an ‘ungrateful’ politician who has forgotten the sacrifices and contributions made by Zahrain for his political career.

 

“Zahrain recommended Raveentharan’s candidature for Batu Uban and campaigned hard for his victory in the 2008 general election.

 

“Now Raveentharan has forgotten his roots and is defending Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at the expense of PKR interests,” he told Malaysiakini.

‘He has shown total disrespect’

 

Nyanasegaran said it was wrong for Raveentharan, who is also the state PKR vice chairperson, to attack Zahrain when Anwar had said the party disciplinary committee would take action against the Bayan Baru MP in a month’s time.

 

“Raveentharan has shown total disrespect to Anwar, the party supremo. The party should take tough disciplinary action on him for attacking another PKR rep,” said Nyanasegaran, who is also a state PKR committee member.

         

Zahrain recently caused a major PKR – DAP furore when he accused Lim as a “dictator, chauvinist and communist minded leader.”

 

His statement was supported by another PKR MP Tan Tee Beng of Nibong Tebal who described Lim as a ‘chief minister with no class.”

 

Since then DAP politicians such as Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, state party chief Chow Kon Yeow, Lim’s chief of staff and Jelutong parliamentarian Jeff Ooi and Lim’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik have taken parting shots at both PKR MPs.

'No smoke without fire'

 

The five PKR grassroots leaders demanded DAP and Pakatan to take firm actions on the DAP politicians for their unwarranted criticisms against Zahrain and Tan.

 

“The DAP men can defend Lim from allegations raised by the two PKR MPs. But they don’t have the right to attack the MPs,” said Roslan.

 

He said if Zahrain could be hauled up for attacking another Pakatan leader, the DAP politicians too should be investigated for committing a similar offence.

 

Ismail on the other hand wants the party top leadership to call on both the Zahrain and Lim to testify at the disciplinary hearing in a month’s time.

 

He suggested that Lim should attend the hearing to clarify if Zahrain was speaking the truth about him while Zahrain must explain his accusations against Lim. 

 

“I am not defending anyone here. But surely there would not be smoke without fire. PKR and Pakatan should probe this thoroughly,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, Karnan called on Raveentharan to look after his own backyard first before complaining about Zahrain.

 

“He should first evaluate his performance as Batu Uban assemblyperson. He should assess whether or not he is fit to be the representative in the first place,” said Karnan, who is Raveentharan’s former political aide.