DAP's Tanjung Bungah assemblyperson Teh Yee Cheu will be dealt with by the party internally, after he reportedly said the party's secretary-general Lim Guan Eng should go on leave until the controversy surrounding the latter's bungalow purchase is resolved.

Teh is reported to have said that DAP had previously told others to go leave when facing controversy, so the party should practise what it preaches.

“ We must lead by example when asking others to do the same thing,” The Star quoted him as saying.

He was reportedly responding to queries regarding an interview published in an unnamed online news portal, where he is said to have also made his call for Lim to go on leave.

“ I said this (asking Lim to go on leave) in the interview but it was merely echoing the call by former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan and others who had asked the chief minister to go on leave.

“ The credibility of the party is at stake if we do not practise what we preach,” Teh was quoted as saying by The Star .

Ambiga had said that Lim should consider his options in wake of the controversy, including but not limited to taking leave.

Rayer: Teh a confused man

When contacted, Penang DAP party whip RSN Rayer chastised Teh as a “confused man” who cannot tell what is right and what is wrong.

“ We will be dealing with Teh internally on this particular matter. The statement by Teh is uncalled for,” he told Malaysiakini .

He later clarified that he meant DAP would hold a meeting to discuss Teh's conduct, as it had done when Teh had previously backed a motion from Umno assemblypersons on land reclamation projects in Penang, and then apologised over the matter.

Teh resigned as Penang DAP organising secretary over the incident last year.

Rayer ( photo ) said as far as the rest of Penang DAP's backbenchers are concerned, they are firmly behind Lim's leadership as Penang chief minister, and do not believe there is any element of graft in the bungalow purchase.

Lim is being accused of purchasing a bungalow along Jalan Pinhorn below market price, which is allegedly linked to the sale of state land on Taman Manggis.

Lim has denied any wrongdoing, and has pointed out that the sale of the state land was conducted via open tender where he is not a member of the tender committee.