This follows the recent revelation that two Gerakan defectors, Huan Cheng Guan of Parti Cinta Malaysia and former PKR MP Tan Tee Beng, whom Teng described as “friends of Gerakan”, were photographed together.
“We have a coffee corner at the Gerakan HQ that is open to the public. We cannot stop people from coming in.
“It so happened I bumped into Huan and Tan, and I joined them for coffee.
“The public is welcome to have coffee there. They bumped into me. You don’t expect me to shoo them away,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Teng told the “troublemaker” who had leaked the picture of them at the coffeeshop to face him directly and air his grouses.
“Do not simply whack me. Come forward and show your face.”
Yesterday, a party insider told FMT that two former Gerakan members who left the party on a bitter note had visited the party’s headquarters to discuss issues revolving around the internal squabbling.
The insider also provided a picture purportedly showing Huan posting a picture of the group with the caption: “In view of the recent Gerakan internal squabbling, talk (sic) is ongoing between PCM, Tan Tee Beng and Teng Chang Yeow.”
Meanwhile, Huan, when contacted, dismissed the notion of interfering in Gerakan affairs raised by the insider, saying “friendship is more than politics.”
“Actually, yesterday, I went to meet Oh Tong Keong (state Gerakan vice-chairman). It so happened that all the old friends are there.
“Don’t forget that I was the previous state Gerakan Youth chairman for three terms and elected national vice-president.
“I used to drop by at Gerakan headquarters. To me, not everything revolves around politics. Many Gerakan members and leaders are still my close friends.”
Meanwhile, the party’s national legal bureau chairman, Baljit Singh, said the party was akin to a glasshouse, where everyone was welcome.
“In this case, it was coffee. Huan is a good friend and we even worked together in the late Karpal Singh’s driver C Selvam’s accident court case.
“I have also had coffee with Huan. I do not see this as a problem.
“But I want to reiterate that our party is a glasshouse, if people start throwing stones from inside, then we are sure to fall,” he said when contacted.
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