The committee issued a show-cause letter to Leong on Jan 6, but said he did not respond and chose to go through the media to state that he would not reply to their query.

“Leong Cheok Keng has left the disciplinary committee with no other alternative but to terminate his party membership with immediate effect,” said the committee’s chairman, Chong Chieng Jen, in a statement today.

Leong was reported last week as saying that he would not respond to DAP’s letter, instead saying the committee should seek explanations from party leaders who have “deviated from party principles”.

“Some leaders claim they wanted to create a new political landscape with Umno or other parties. How come they don’t have to explain?,” he was quoted as saying by a news portal.

“This is unfair to me. Therefore, I have decided not to provide an explanation.”

He also did not confirm or deny reports linking him with MCA.

Saying that Leong’s decision to reply to their show-cause letter through the media amounted to “defiance and arrogance” against the party’s internal disciplinary mechanism, Chong said it also lent credence to reports about Leong’s MCA application.

Chong stressed that DAP does not allow party members to apply or hold the membership of another political party. Their membership will be terminated as such dual-membership is deemed a “treachery” to the party.

A number of Chinese dailies had previously reported that Leong and several other DAP assemblymen and MPs were leaving DAP.

Leong, a two-term Malim Nawar assemblyman, previously slammed Perak DAP chief Nga Kor Ming over his willingness to work with Umno during the Perak political turmoil last month.

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