Don't Cry For Me Sungai Siput

The below article was taken from the star, Click here



Sunday September 20, 2009
Jalong rep fights ouster by cousins
By SYLVIA LOOI

IPOH: A storm is brewing in the Perak DAP again over the Ngeh-Nga family factor.

The latest is the outburst by state treasurer Leong Mee Meng, who complained of being sidelined by the party’s state leadership helmed by two cousins - chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming.

Leong, who is Jalong assemblyman, was reported to have wept at a recent function as she complained of the party being split.

Later when interviewed by a Chinese daily, she lamented that she was not informed of party functions held at the Sungai Siput DAP division in the Jalong constituency.

A source in the party also claimed that branches had been set up by Nga in the Sungai Siput division recently in a bid to undermine Leong.

“The leadership hopes to drop Leong as a candidate in the next general election by claiming that she has lost the people’s support,” said the source, adding that Nga controlled 40% of the branches in Sungai Siput.

The rift between Leong and the cousins, the source said, surfaced after the state party leadership shot down her recommendations for councillors’ posts when Perak was still under Pakatan Rakyat’s rule.

The cousins, instead, put in people “friendly” to them.

“There were also complaints about the allocation of funds when Nga was state education, local government, housing and public transport committee chairman,” said the source.

Party stalwart Lim Kit Siang is also concerned over the rift and has asked for the help of other DAP leaders in Perak to ease the tense situation.

This is not the first time frustrations are building up against Ngeh and Nga for their “overzealous” ways.

When contacted, Leong said she had nothing more to say on the matter.

“What I want to say has been said. I have nothing more to add.”

Ngeh played down the issue, saying that everything was okay now.

“This is old news,” he added.