DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has asked the party's Jelapang assemblyperson Hee Yit Fong to calm down and not get too sensitive about being chided for remaining incommunicado for more than 24 hours.

anwar ibrahim speech in penang 061208 lim guan eng "She need not be sensitive about my comment if she had done nothing wrong," he told reporters at his Komtar office in George Town today.

Lim said he was merely expressing the party’s stand that all assemblypersons and parliamentarians must always be in contact with the leadership, especially in view of the current political scenario in Perak.

He said the party leadership's stand was that if any DAP elected representative in the state was incommunicado for over a 24-hour period, it would be seen as a serious indication of the person's desire not to remain as the party elected representative.

"The party stand is that it was a serious indication of the person shirking his or her responsibility and public accountability to respective electorates. Therefore they should step down as an elected representative.

hee yit foong interview 010209 01 "It's the party national disciplinary policy," added Lim, who is also Penang chief minister.

Hee has demanded an apology from Lim for saying that party representatives in the state who were incommunicado for more than 24 hours without reason would find their seats vacated.

"I had to make the statement yesterday to explain to the voters about the party’s stand," Lim said.

Round-the-clock monitoring

Due to the current political development in Perak, Lim indicated that the party was on a round-the-clock monitoring of DAP's 18 assemblypersons, who form the backbone of the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

"Currently all party assemblypersons have been told to be in close contact with the DAP leadership to avoid any misunderstanding.

"It's DAP’s standard political practice nationwide," said Lim, who declined to speculate whether or not there would be a snap state elections in Perak.

"I am not in a position to comment. The best person would be Nizar (Perak Menteri Besar Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin), not me," he said.

He also declined to comment when asked if the Pakatan Rakyat top leadership has been briefed by Nizar.

Asked whether DAP is ready for a snap state polls, Lim indicated that his party was prepared to face any eventuality resulting from the current political turmoil in Perak.

"In life we have to be ready for everything and anything," he said.