S Dhinabalan, who on Sunday had announced his resignation from Penang PKR, had actually quit the party last year, along with Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Mohd Hashim.

State PKR vice-chairperson S Raveentharan said Dhinabalan’s most recent declaration of his resignation, alongside 200 others, amounted to “cheap theatrics and a publicity stunt”.

The purpose, claimed Raveentharan, was to show that there are problems in PKR and that the party does not care about issues affecting the Indian community.

“I believe they are phantom members,” he said.

“But Dhinabalan (who heads the Penang Hindu Priests Association) was Zahrain’s personal assistant, and was the one assisting the MP when he visited Hindu temples while in PKR.”

“Perhaps, come the 13th general election, Dhinabalan will quit PKR again and hold another press conference,” he said, sarcastically.

Bernama reported yesterday that 200 members of the priests association, who were members of the PKR Bayan Baru division, had announced that they are leaving the party. The association has 280 members.

The report quoted Dhinabalan as saying that the group is disappointed with the party for its failure to champion the cause of the Indians in the state, and has lost trust in the leadership of de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

NONE The group also lodged a police report at the Bayan Baru police station on the sex video purportedly involving Anwar Ibrahim, who has denied any involvement.

Zahrain (left) quit PKR in February last year, citing differences with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the party leadership.

Raveentharan, who is the board's commissioner, further questioned the existence of the priests association, saying he has never met any of its members.

He queried if there were that many priests in Penang to manage only five major temples.

“Perhaps, these people are self-professed priests,” he added.