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Media Statement
by Karpal Singh  
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(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday) : Former Selangor DAP Chair Ong Chee Keng has sent a letter to me yesterday resigning from all posts including from the DAP CEC and the Selangor State committee. At the same time he repeated in today’s Chinese newspapers his false and uncultured slurs against CEC leaders (which he first used in the press on 14.1.2007 onwards) and would be holding further press conferences to attack the party.

For Ong to continue making such unjustified and unwarranted personal attacks against DAP CEC leaders in language that is stronger than that he used against MCA leaders is most deplorable. Ong's public confirmation repeating his "eunuch" slurs is serious and requires disciplinary action because he has: 

1. Cast grave aspersions on the integrity and character of the entire CEC leadership and all members which is irresponsible and unacceptable;
2. Confirms that he lied when he told the press initially that he resigned from his posts in protest against the party’s failure to follow the constitution;
3. Reneged on his earlier pledge that he would abide by the CEC decision on this matter. During the CEC meeting on 22.1.2007, he gave the date he would be able to attend the Selangor State emergency CEC to verify the no-confidence motion and the re-election of the new state leadership; 
4. Reveals his true colours of wanting to seriously damage the party out of revenge at his removal as Selangor State Chairman by Selangor State Committee members;
5. Refused to respect the party internal mechanism to resolve internal problems and the spirit of democracy of upholding the right of members to choose their own leaders; and
6. Continued to make false and baseless allegations against DAP CEC leaders.

However DAP Secretary-General Sdr Lim Guan Eng has told me he does not favour disciplinary action because he believes in the loyalty and intelligence of party members to distinguish between those who are sincere from those wanting to damage the party. Further Lim does not want Ong to play the victim to hide Ong’s true colours of wanting to damage the party and not daring to face the democratic exercise by Selangor State Committee members, whether to replace him or not, at the emergency meeting convened by CEC at Ong’s convenience on Thursday night.

DAP leaders and members should, therefore, ignore Ong Chee Keng as he has shown that he has neither respect for the party nor the party interests at heart. No self-respecting leader and member of the DAP would want to associate with one who does not tell the truth and attacks his own party more violently than MCA and BN. DAP trusts in the intelligence of our members to differentiate between right from wrong and truth from lies.

The CEC shall proceed with the emergency meeting of the Selangor State Committee on Thursday night 25.1.2007 to resolve the leadership issue by verifying the previous vote of no-confidence and the re-election of new leaders. DAP believes the best solution is the democratic solution of allowing the Selangor state committee members to choose their leaders. It is regrettable that Ong does not dare to face the Selangor State Committee members to decide his fate.

Although Ong Chee Keng has shown his true colours and succeeded in tarnishing the party’s image, the party must move forward in handling important national issues that affect the people ranging from economic hardships as a result of the toll hike to high fuel prices. Let us not waste any more time on Ong Chee Keng but let the public see the difference between leaders who perform and those who do not.

(24/1/2007)