Selangor scrambling to quash rumours of defections

By Neville Spykerman-The Malaysian Insider

SHAH ALAM, Feb 12 — After losing Perak to cross-overs, Pakatan Rakyat is scrambling to quash rumours of defections in Selangor as their Port Klang assemblyman Badrul Hisham Abdullah battled that perception and allegations of being arrested for khalwat (close proximity)

However, the PKR assemblyman, who is known to be elusive even to his constituents, strongly denied all the allegations of khalwat and jumping to Barisan Nasional.

“The rumours are not true. I am fully committed to PKR and continuing my work as an assemblyman.” said Badrul Hisham, who is considering legal action against the media who falsely reported that he was defecting.

He disclosed that he had met with the PKR leadership to explain his stand and promised to improve his weaknesses in the country’s richest and most industrialised state.

Meanwhile Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is scheduled to meet all Pakatan Rakyat MPs and assemblymen for a dialogue at his official residence in Shah Alam tonight amid swirling rumours of defections. He is expected to get everyone to commit to the electoral pact comprising PKR, DAP and Pas.

While Badrul Hisham has confirmed his attendance, Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam told The Malaysian Insider that he would be staying away, ratcheting up the dispute he has with Selangor Pakatan Rakyat and his disappointment with Khalid.

“I am staying away for personal reasons which is mainly my disappointment with the state leadership,” he said but confirmed he had no intention of leaving PKR to turn independent as he had threatened at the end of 2008.

“I know people will talk and continue to speculate on my allegiances but my dispute is only with state leadership and not with the party,” Manikavasagam said.

Party insiders told The Malaysian Insider that the federal lawmaker felt slighted over what he viewed as the state leadership’s discrimination against him.

At the crux of the matter is funding.

Kapar is the largest constituency in the country yet Manikavasagam has not received direct funding from either the state or the Barisan Nasional federal government.

Only Pakatan Rakyat state assemblymen are entitled to funds for small projects from the state while only Barisan Nasional MPs receive allocations from the federal government.

He is also sore at the state’s leaderships for dragging their feet on outstanding issues affecting his constituency.

The move to snub tonight’s meeting will further strain Manikavasagam’s relationship with the state’s leadership but it will have no impact

on the electoral pact’s hold over Selangor.

With 36 seats to Barisan Nasional’s 20 in the state assembly, the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government is stable at least for now.