Former Bukit Gelugor chief Lim Boo Chang is livid over allegations that he had quit PKR in a huff over failing to secure a seat in the coming 13th general election.

Lim, who is a Penang local councillor, denied that he had ever requested for a seat from the party's leadership, let alone ask for a written assurance on the matter.

lim boo chang He also vehemently denied allegations that the reason he left the party abruptly last Wednesday was due  the leadership’s failure  to reassure him his candidacy for the impending polls.

"I have never asked, whether orally or in writing, for a written assurance from any party leader to take part in the polls," Lim ( right )  told Malaysiakini .

"My departure from PKR is based on principles. The party is unable to control either DAP in Penang or PAS at the national level," he added.

Movement to smear his name

Lim, a lawyer by profession, said he was aware that there is a movement and concerted effort among his former comrades to smear his reputation upon his quitting the PKR.

However, he vowed to institute legal action against those who continue to tarnish his image.

"I will not tolerate any further nonsense of this sort and will take the appropriate action against whoever spreads rumours or speculation about my intention to leave PKR," he warned.

Lim was referring to a Malaysiakini   report yesterday headlined "Boo Chang 'failed to secure a seat' from PKR".

The report quoted PKR Bukit Gelugor information chief Dr Gurdial Singh as saying that Lim may have left the party because of  his  failure to secure a seat.        

Gurdial was quoted as saying that Boo Chang had wanted a written assurance of his candidacy but because he failed to obtain it, he abandoned the  PKR, of which he had been a member for less than three years. 

Gurdial has since clarified that his statement was based on speculation and "coffee shop" talk among the public and party members, that he was not certain if Boo Chang's recent departure was linked to his candidacy.

Malaysiakini , too, has heard similar talk among party members but PKR state leaders have yet to publicly dismiss the accusations against Lim.

Boo Chang, a former Datuk Keramat assemblyperson has jumped parties twice, from Gerakan in 1995 to MCA, which he left to join PKR after the 2008 polls.

Last week, Boo Chang expressed his "unilateral wish" to rejoin Gerakan, which he served for 15 years, but the party has been lukewarm about his application.

Following Boo Chang's exit from PKR, 312 members from the Bukit Gelugor division allegedly followed in his footsteps on Saturday.

However, Gurdial said only Boo Chang and division deputy chief Roslan Rahman Shah has handed in their resignations,  the others have yet to do so.

When Boo Chang announced his resignation, he cited disillusionment with the party's leadership, accusing  the DAP of being 'arrogant and abusive', blaming Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for intervening in the autonomy of the MPPP.

His comments earned him the wrath of Komtar assemblyperson and Lim's political secretary Ng Wei Aik who descibed him as a "frog with no human character".       

Boo Chang has since issued Ng a second legal notice demanding a retraction of his remarks to the media, and an apology for injuring his reputation.