Kok had two days ago raised concerns over her prospects of re-election to the DAP central executive committee following a probe into her former aides.

She told Malaysiakini that many members could not accept it when she decided to dismiss and terminate the services of her aide last year after discovering that her parliamentary allocation had been misappropriated.

And Kok now feared she would be voted out by delegates who knew her former aide in this Sunday’s election.

In a Facebook post, Puad Zarkashi said Kok’s statement had inadvertently revealed why she decided not to report the misconduct to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“She wanted to play safe. Her political post is of greater importance.”

Last week, Kok said she had been unfairly blamed by some party members and the families of her former staff for MACC’s decision to question her two former officers.

Responding to accusations on social media of her alleged involvement, the Seputeh MP said neither she nor her staff had lodged a report with the anti-graft agency.

Yesterday, Kok told FMT that sacking her former assistant was sufficient in defending the decision not to report the latter to the authorities.

MACC recently remanded two of Kok’s former officers for allegedly soliciting and accepting a RM500,000 bribe. They have since been released on bail.

An MACC source said the bribe was for helping approve an application for RM1.5 million in funding for the supply of interactive smart boards to several schools in Kuala Lumpur.