Denying allegations that DAP was being just as undemocratic as Umno by resorting to such actions, Penang DAP Wanita political education director Syerleena Abdul Rashid said that it was Teh who had first betrayed those whom he promised to represent.
“When Teh first openly declared his intentions to leave the DAP, the party leaders, grassroots leaders and also those who were close colleagues of his, sought to reach out to him in the best way they could.
“There were numerous attempts to hold private discussions and interventions but all were futile. Unfortunately, complaints were received, and most highlighted how he was unreachable or even ignoring phone calls altogether,” said Syerleena, who is also a councillor with the Penang Island City Council.
She added that Teh wanting to contest against DAP in the next general election (GE14) either as an independent candidate or with a different party also made it difficult for the DAP-led Penang government.
“Teh has yet to confirm which party he will be contesting under but photos of him taken with pro-Barisan Nasional political figures have begun circulating the internet,” she said.
Teh won the Tanjung Bungah state seat as a DAP candidate in the last general election in May 2013. However, last October, he declared that he would be leaving DAP at the end of his term over his differences with the DAP-led state government.
The Penang government subsequently stripped him of his constituency allocations amounting to nearly RM200,000 as well as other powers accorded to state assemblymen from DAP and PKR, to sign off documents pertaining to the payment of aid to constituents.
Syerleena said that passing the RM200,000 allocation to Zairil meant that voters and residents of Tanjung Bungah were not being denied any of their rightful allocation, because they fell under the Bukit Bendera parliamentary constituency.
“Do not forget that Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari was also elected by the voters of Tanjung Bungah and definitely not an outsider like what some outrageously claim.
“The public must understand that Teh was elected on a party ticket – to serve as a ‘wakil rakyat’ representing DAP. Therefore, his decision to contest against the party is not only a betrayal to the party but indeed a betrayal to those who had voted him as a DAP representative in both GE12 and GE13,” she said.
On Thursday, Teh told the media he will contest in GE14 but had still not decided if he will defend his current seat or move to Sungai Pinang.
“Yes, I will contest, but I am not sure which seat yet. We will see how. I will reveal plans later,” Teh said.