Several grassroots leaders from DAP's Taman Bunga branch and representatives of NGO Malaysia People's Rights Group gathered outside the party's headquarters along Jalan Rangoon today to show solidarity with Teh Yee Cheu.

Teh, the Tanjung Bungah representative, has been under the spotlight since Friday when he was reprimanded by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for supporting a motion by Umno to stop sea reclamation projects.

The state legislative assembly motion was filed by Umno Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhammad Farid Saad who wants more transparency in the state's approval process for sea reclamation projects.

Today, there were only five at the gathering but they carried a banner saying "Man for justice" which was printed next to a photo of Teh visiting the Middle Bank, a piece of land described as a "biodiversity wonder" along the Penang coast which faces threats of reclamation.

"If the party suspends Teh's membership, the branch assistants and publicity secretaries and I will quit DAP," warned Taman Bunga branch chief Adam Chew.

"Government or party shouldn't just have one and the same voice, otherwise we just need to elect one person to be the representative. Why do we need all the state assemblypersons to attend the sitting?

"Furthermore, Teh is a backbencher. His responsibility is to check and balance the government, and help to establish a system which is beneficial to the people by not blindly agreeing to the state. He has fulfilled his obligation."

Man of principle

Chew added that Teh has proven to be a man of principle who, from opposition party to ruling party, has stood by the same principles and has never changed his mind. He is “such a reliable politician", as he has not forgotten his original intentions and beliefs.

He said without Teh's dissenting voice, all DAP representatives would share the same position and the public would perceive them as belonging to an autocratic party.

"It will be seen as a party which practises what one says, goes, and dissidents won't be tolerated. Teh's image has made DAP appear more diversified, democratic and liberal. He did nothing wrong to the party; in fact he has rendered a great service to it," Chew said.

He said according to PKR's Bukit Tengah assemblyperson Ong Chin Wen, the five PKR representatives who are now under fire from Lim, voted with their "conscience". But so did Teh, Chew added.

Besides Ong, the other four from PKR are Cheah Kah Peng (Kebun Bunga), T Jayabalan (Batu Uban), Lee Khai Loon (Machang Bubok) and Norlela Ariffin (Penanti).

Lim had accused Ong, the party's whip, of planning a coup to topple Deputy Chief Minister I Rashid Hasnon, PKR's Pantai Jerejak assemblyman. However, the latter has denied this allegation.

'Public interest before party interest'

Chew said a lawmaker should first consider public interest, and party interest comes next.

"Teh is a lawmaker with a conscience first before he acts as a DAP representative. Politicians shouldn't confuse their priorities," he said.

He also urged DAP not to initiate any disciplinary action against Teh as he is the conscience of DAP.

He added that if DAP wants to continue to gain support from the voters, then it should appreciate a leader like Teh.

"We hope all party and grassroots leaders will recognise him as someone who dares to uphold his principles.

"If the party decides to take aggressive action against him, voters will feel aggrieved and will question whether the DAP and state government are still sticking to its principle, which is supposed to be people-centric," Chew said.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, had vehemently rejected the Umno motion on reassessing reclamation projects and accused Umno of hatching a sinister plan to bankrupt Penang, as cancelling these projects could cost the state some RM1 billion.