Fierce allegations continued to be hurled at the state leadership in the run-up to Penang Gerakan's most controversial emergency general meeting on Sunday, with the Youth wing now claiming that delegates were offered bribes as part of the strategy to reduce the number of no-confidence votes against chairman Teng Hock Nan.

NONE State Gerakan Youth vice-chief H'ng Khoon Leng ( left ) said the offers for coordinators' posts and potential candidacies in the next general election, were targeted at the 64 signatories who called for the EGM on Sunday.

The offers were allegedly extended by ‘a very senior leader' to more than 10 delegates and happened after the EGM was confirmed recently, added H'ng, although he declined to reveal the identity of the individual involved.

When asked if Teng was behind the offers, H'ng asked reporters to launch an investigation on the matter, as should the inducement be accepted, it was considered corruption.

H'ng, who is also state BN Youth information chief, said this was an "unethical practice abhorred" by the Youth wing, and that however, none of the members had accepted the offer.

"We want to tell the seniors and leaders to curb these practices if they believe in democratic principles; they must be able to accept the needs of the grassroots who requested for the EGM," he said during a press conference in Penang today.

"We will not tolerate such activities; we want reforms. If this is practised, it means the downfall of the party; so we urge them to stop it," he added.

H'ng said he left it to the party leadership and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the matter further.

The controversial EGM would require a simple majority to cast a vote of no-confidence againt Teng, whose leadership capabilities have come into question especially after the March 2008 election, where Gerakan lost all their seats in Penang.

Teng, in the party's annual convention recently, conceded that he would quit his post if delegates at the EGM passed the resolution for his resignation.

lim keng yaik interview 280408 09 When contacted, Teng said he was in a meeting, and Malaysiakini has yet to obtain his response to the matter.

The state leadership crisis has reached the national level where former party president and advisor Lim Keng Yaik ( right ) recently threw in his resignation and blamed current president Koh Tsu Koon for not resolving the crisis.

Lim's decision came in the wake of Koh, who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, saying he could not attend the EGM as he is obligated to be present at an MCA function in Kual Lumpur on the same day.

‘Rape of democracy'

‘ Meanwhile, Jelutong Gerakan division Youth chief Ng Say Kheng, who claimed he was one of those who were offered the bribe, expressed great sadness about the offer made to him.

NONE "It is a rape of democracy. I am truly saddened that such practices are happening in the party," said Ng, who also declined the offer.

"When I work for the party, I never expect any money," he added.

Ng ( right ) said ‘a very senior leader' had spoken to him last Saturday, outside the party's headquarters in Jalan Macalister, where the latter made such overtures to him.

He claimed to have received another call today from a staff member at the state headquarters, telling him that the "boss would like to speak to you".

Ng, however, said he rejected the meeting, and instead came directly to the press conference to reveal his side of the story.