Former MCA veteran member Lee Chong Meng has "forgotten" when he joined opposition PKR.

NONE Contacted yesterday, Lee said that his application forms to join PKR were submitted by a third party but he couldn't recall when.

Despite being quizzed repeatedly during a phone interview, Lee could only reply: "I have forgotten".

Lee's latest reply contradicts his press conference on Thursday, where he said he would apply to be a PKR member on that same day.

During the press conference, he said he had filled in the application form in June, but did not sign it until that day.

However, on Sept 26 he was elected unopposed as the Bukit Bintang PKR division head.

Realising that something was amiss, PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali issued a press statement today to state that there an obvious mistake had taken place.  

Syed Husin adds that the party's leadership would deliberate on the Lee's status soon, pending confirmation from the party election committee.

PKR party rules dictate that members are not allowed to be members of other parties.

 

'I officially quit on 25 Sept'

Lee told Malaysiakini that he had officially quit MCA on Sept 25 and accepted nominations by the Bukit Bintang PKR division a day after.

Therefore, claims Lee, he had not contravened the party rules.

 

NONE “I have actually written a letter on Sept 25 to quit all my post in MCA, but I had forgotten to send it to the party headquarters before I went overseas.

 

“I sent a representative to hand over the letter a few days ago... The letter, however, still takes effect from Sept 25,” said Lee.  

 

Lee also explained that he only attended the Bukit Bintang PKR divisional annual general assembly after signing the letter to quit MCA.

 

“Since the Bukit Bintang division chief is vacant, I was nominated in the meeting to hold the post,” he stressed.

 

Lee claims that PKR Johor chief and former his former MCA comrade Chua Jui Meng was fully aware of his plans.

 

No pre-conditions or offers

 

Lee refused to reveal who pursuaded him to join PKR but stressed that he had done so without any pre-conditions nor was he given any offers.

 

NONE He also denied various newspapers speculations that he would be given a seat in the Klang valley in the next general election.  

 

“I only expressed my hope to contest in Klang Valley during the next general election and I never said it is a certainty," he said.

 

Meanwhile, Lee refused to comment on the objections to his membership, most prominently by PKR Wanita publicity chief Elizabeth Wong.

Lee has said that his decision to join PKR would not waver.  

 

“This is normal democratic procedure. There must be some people who object, because nobody is absolutely perfect,” he said.

 

He stressed that the allegation that he abused government allocations were already cleared by the police in year 2007 and hence this should not be an issue.

 

“This is only an excuse for (MCA disciplinary committee) to take action against me.”

 

On Tuesday, MCA disciplinary committee recommended for the suspension Lee's membership for three years for abusing government allocations in 2008.

Lee is a veterinarian and often refers to himself as "doktor ayam" (chicken doctor) during his election campaigns.