PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim today said that the issue of Padungan assemblyperson Dominique Ng - who had felt ‘betrayed’ after PKR deprived him of his seat that was swapped with DAP - has been solved.

anwar penang talk 040606 dominique Anwar however did not elaborate on what the solution was or what transpired in the meeting between him and Ng ( left ) yesterday.

"He (Ng) had clarified that his statement had been taken out of context," Anwar told Malaysiakini when met after a ceramah at an Iban longhouse in Pakit B, Sri Aman.

He said that Ng had accepted the decision after listening to the party leadership’s explanation.

"As far as I'm concerned, the issue has been solved," said Anwar.

The details of seat distribution among PKR, DAP and PAS were finally announced in Kuching on Thursday night, shocking many on the exchange of the Padungan and Batu Lintang seats between PKR and DAP, that both parties had won respectively in the 2006 state election.

Many saw this last-minute arrangement as a strategy to remove both Ng and DAP Batu Lintang incumbent Voon Li Shan from contesting as the duo were seen as mavericks in their respective parties.

Long discussion with party leaders

In an immediate response to the manoeuvre Ng had told Malaysiakini that he was shocked and felt "betrayed" by his comrades.

NONE He also claimed that Anwar ( right, standing ) was in the dark over the seat swap and that he would meet with the leader over the matter.

According to local media reports, Ng spent hours at a meeting with Anwar, together with deputy president Azmin Ali and vice president Tian Chua, the next morning at a restaurant in Kuching.

Anwar however refused to address the media after the meeting.

The seat-swap is potentially risky for DAP, because Ng has a history of standing as an independent in three-cornered fights with DAP and BN.

The local media reported that Ng's supporters, who were deeply disgruntled by the decision, had warned that Ng will definitely contest the seat "no matter what happens".

Ng is also Bandar Kuching PKR division chief. His deputy did not rule out the possibility of Ng contesting as an independent should DAP contest the urban seat located at the heart of Kuching city.

"Ng is sure to contest in Padungan, he will not run away from it," he had said.