The Gerakan "boss" who allegedly wanted to meet a delegate to induce him to withdraw from the party's emergency general meeting on Sunday was Gerakan national speaker Chin Fook Wing ( below ), a senior leader who often helps out at the party's headquarters on Jalan Macalister.

NONE The Gerakan employee who reportedly requested the delegate to meet up with the boss who "may be buying you lunch or offering you a coordinator's post" has been named as clerk Khoo Teik Lee.

And the alleged offer of a coordinator's post ahead of the controversial EGM was just "a misunderstanding and a joke".

All this was revealed at a press conference today by Dr Teng Hock Nan, who is at the centre of the leadership crisis in Penang and the reason why the EGM has been called - to seek his removal as state chief.

Teng admitted that upon hearing the allegations from reporters, he launched an immediate investigation to find out the truth of the matter.

'Bribe offers made to more than 10 members'

State Youth vice-chief H'ng Khoon Leng said yesterday that Jelutong Youth chief Ng Say Kheng was offered the bribe of a party coordinator's post to withdraw from the EGM.

Party coordinators often become potential candidates for state and parliamentary seats during general elections.

H'ng said such offers were made to more than 10 members, and it was specifically targeted at the 64 delegates who signed the petition for the EGM, although none from the Youth wing had accepted any bribe.

NONE Ng ( right ), who was also at the press conference yesterday, described the alleged offer as a "rape of democracy" and expressed "great sadness" over the incident.

"I was shocked to hear about the allegations when reporters asked me to comment," Teng said. "So we immediately investigated the matter and spoke to all the persons involved, including H'ng, Ng and the staff involved.

"Then we found out that the ‘boss' mentioned in the allegations was Chin, and the staff involved was Khoo."

Meanwhile, Chin admitted asking Ng to meet with him but it was only to request him to help out with hall arrangements for the EGM on Sunday.

He said he asked Khoo to inform Ng about the matter and had learnt that Ng would be coming in to help.

He thought nothing more of the situation until he found out that Ng had actually gone for a press conference to "expose" the matter, along with other Youth members.

'An unfortunate misunderstanding'

"It was an unfortunate misunderstanding. The clerk called Ng and joked with him as he was very friendly with Ng," said Chin.

Khoo had apparently told Ng: "The boss wants to see you... maybe he wants to buy you lunch... maybe he wants to appoint you as coordinator," when Ng asked Khoo why the "boss" requested the meeting.

"This conversation caused Ng and the others to jump to a conclusion. Yes, the boss mentioned there is me, and I actually wanted him to come in to help out with the arrangements in the hall... you could say that he will be coordinating the chairs, hall or car park," said Chin.

NONE Chin said he had told H'ng ( left ), who was also present as an observer at the press conference today, to do some damage control as the matter had inconvenienced the party.

"We have to be very transparent. When we deal with young people, we have to be very forgiving, even though this has caused us some damage," he added.

Asked about this explanation, H'ng said: "We have to respect each other's press conferences. We will not do it now."