Angry Keng Yaik calls Kah Choon an opportunist
Malaysiakini.com
Apr 24, 2008
Andrew Ong

Former Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik has criticised former protegé Lee Kah Choon for lacking principles by seeking greener pastures with the new Penang Pakatan Rakyat government.
MCPX

“This young man (Lee) is not willing to struggle anymore. He is trying to take short cuts. Don’t tell me he is not in active politics anymore. He is still very much in it, but now, with a DAP agenda,” he said.  

lim keng yaik 240408 01Speaking during a press conference after addressing a forum in Kuala Lumpur today, Keng Yaik dismissed suggestions that Lee’s resignation was a loss for the party.  

“No. The sooner you can see the (real) face the better. No principles. No spirit of struggle and wants to take the easy way out,” said Keng Yaik.   

Describing himself as a “disappointed and angry old man” over the matter, Keng Yaik said he shouldered the blame for grooming Lee as a prominent leader in the party.  

“I’m disappointed and angry because he was picked by me. (Acting Gerakan president Dr Koh) Tsu Koon should not be blamed,” he said.

Lee left the party yesterday following the party’s decision to issue him a show-cause letter for accepting Pakatan’s’ offer to helm InvestPenang and Penang Development Corporation.  

Previously, Lee had quit all his party posts, including that of deputy secretary-general, in view of the party’s disastrous performance in Penang in the March 8 polls.  

Guan Eng cunning

Keng Yaik said Lee’s appointment to the two posts were glaring examples of how the Pakatan state government lacked capable leaders to run the state.  

lee kah choon lim guan eng penang 220408He described efforts by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to rope in Lee as a form of “poaching” which he also repeatedly described as “froggy politics”. 

“And Guan Eng has the gall to say that this is a ‘new era’ of politics. My foot! He is a far more cunning politician than his father or Karpal Singh.

“I don‘t think his father or Karpal would approve of (Guan Eng‘s) effort. This was the kind of things (crossing over) they were shouting (in protest against) when we were in power,” said Keng Yaik.  

Incidently, it was reported in the New Straits Times yesterday that Karpal had voiced disapproval of Guan Eng for offering the posts to Lee and that the move was “just not sound”. 

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