Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan told FMT he was made to understand that Lai was suspended for a year, during which time his deputy Azmee Abd Rahim would act as division chief.

Federal Territories PKR chief Azman Abidin also confirmed the matter when contacted, saying the suspension took effect last Friday.

FMT has reached out to Lai for comment.

Lai came under scrutiny by the PKR disciplinary board after the circulation of the video which appeared to show him commenting on financial contributions to the division from a prominent businessman. He allegedly referring to them as “unaudited funds” associated with a senior political leader.

Lai claimed that the clip had been selectively edited and circulated with malicious intentions to assassinate his character, especially since it began making the rounds during the PKR election season.

In April, Lai denied claims that the division’s 2024 financial statements had been manipulated, saying such allegations were baseless and politically motivated.

Lai retained the post of Wangsa Maju PKR chief in the divisional elections, defeating Zahir, his closest contender, by 92 votes.