The newly elected Bukit Bintang exco says the division fully supports former MCA member Lee Chong Meng as the PKR Bukit Bintang division chief.

In a joint statement today, division secretary Badrul Hisham Mohd Hanafiah and his deputy Norzairi Jantan said that the fact that Lee won the post uncontested was proof enough that he was welcome.

“PKR Bukit Bintang division wholeheartedly welcomes (Lee) to the division and to PKR Wilayah Persekutuan,” they said.

“The division maintains that there is no magic hand or discordant voices condemning his presence.”

Badrul said that Lee’s candidacy was legitimate and done in accordance with party regulations.

He denied that there was any interference from other divisions or external individuals in the matter, and added that Lee’s candidacy was legitimate because he had officially resigned from his post in MCA on Sept 25, while the divisional AGM convened on Sept 26.

Malaysiakini had earlier reported that Lee, self-described as Doktor Ayam, had announced he was leaving MCA on Oct 7. 

He said his move to leave the BN component party was motivated by MCA president Chua Soi Lek’s announcement on Oct 6 that Lee has been slapped with a three-year suspension for abusing allocations

Meanwhile PKR Bukit Lanjan assemblyperson Elizabeth Wong has expressed shock at the revelations and has called for Lee’s membership to be rejected.

The party's Women publicity chief said in a statement that the party should stop taking in BN rejects lest it becomes a “trashcan” for politicians “rejected by the rakyat”.

In the 2008 general election Lee, the MCA Bukit Bintang chairperson till he apparently jumped ship, lost his division’s parliamentary seat to DAP’s Fong Kui Lun.