'Reformasi' spirit looking for new home, PJ MP says amid presence at Bersama event

PKR MP Lee Chean Chung has penned a despondent censure of Pakatan Harapan’s supposed failure to uphold the reformasi spirit, hinting that Parti Bersama Malaysia could be a new “home” for such ideals.

Broadcasting his thoughts on the matter via social media posts last night, Lee (above) also shared several images of him attending an appreciation event for Johor state election volunteers at the Bersama headquarters in Puchong yesterday.

In his caption on Facebook, Lee affirmed that he had attended the event as he can no longer see the reformasi spirit alive within Harapan, despite it constituting the coalition’s core messaging in the past.

“But I believe the spirit born from the rakyat will not die. It will keep searching for a new vehicle, a new stage, and leadership that is truly brave enough to fight for it.

“I am present today to seek, meet, and stand together with those who still believe that reform is not merely an election slogan, but a mandate that must be fulfilled,” the Petaling Jaya lawmaker added.

Last month, Lee tendered his resignation as a member of PKR’s central leadership council after he became the second PKR lawmaker to lose access to the MyKhas portal, which is used to manage constituency development allocations, among others.

Lee and his fellow PKR MP Wong Chen have claimed that the block could be linked to their known political alignment with former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who leads Bersama alongside former PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

READ MORE: 'Self-inflicted betrayal' led to MyKhas ban, PKR leader tells Rafizi-aligned MPs

While the Prime Minister’s Department has noted Lee and Wong’s complaints regarding their ban from accessing MyKhas, both MPs were also issued show-cause letters from PKR’s disciplinary committee over their attendance at a Bersama event prior to the block.

READ MORE: 'Sack me if you're brave,' Wong Chen tells PKR over disciplinary action

Lee issues dare

In his recent post, Lee issued a similar challenge to the one earlier voiced by Wong, who had dared PKR to take stronger disciplinary action, including expulsion from the party, against him.

“I chose to remain disciplined and to respect the party's decisions, yet the consequence was that allocations for the people were blocked,” Lee claimed.

“If that is the standard to be made practice, then by the same logic, tomorrow or the day after I too could be sacked.

“No investigation needed. No hearing needed. No opportunity to defend myself needed. Just hand down the punishment without trial. Go ahead,” he declared.

Lee also listed several issues leading to his disappointment with the administration led by PKR president and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, including delays in the Dewan Rakyat over several reform measures.

“The prime minister’s term limit still has not been implemented. The separation of powers between the attorney-general and the public prosecutor is still pending,” he detailed.

“The Freedom of Information Act, which would allow people to access government information transparently, has also not become reality.

“More disappointing still, the Political Financing Act that was promised for so long continues to be dormant,” Lee lamented.

Poser over Climate Change Bill

Commenting on the Climate Change Bill, which has yet to be presented in the Dewan Rakyat, Lee warned that the rakyat’s welfare could be at stake if the proposed legislation is left on the back burner for much longer.

“Before long, the European Union will begin imposing a carbon adjustment mechanism on certain imports. If we keep delaying, revenue that should be collectable and usable domestically will end up flowing abroad instead.

“That fund should be used to help the people face the effects of climate change (by) reducing flood risk, protecting the agriculture sector, addressing coastal erosion, strengthening national resilience, and accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy,” Lee stressed.

He further argued that it is merely an “excuse” to claim that the legal framework is being delayed to supposedly avoid burdening the people, noting that with the right policy design, the biggest “polluters” will bear the cost while the proceeds can be returned to the rakyat.

He also asserted that while Harapan had been vocal critics against political opponents such as Najib Abdul Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin, and Ismail Sabri Yaakob over scandals associated with the former prime ministers, no concrete measures to prevent such issues have been established since Harapan gained federal power.

“We deliberately ignore the root cause that has given birth to these scandals for so long - a political financing system that is not transparent, not regulated, and opens the door to abuse of power and corruption.

“As long as this root problem is not resolved, new scandals will keep repeating, no matter who governs,” Lee said.

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