By Debra Chong
Oct 01, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — A suspended Johor DAP assemblyman today revealed he had been offered RM150,000 and 50 acres of land to quit his party and stand as an independent candidate aligned to rival Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming national polls.
First-term Bentayan state lawmaker Gwee Tong Hiang said he was approached last Tuesday by a Chinese man claiming to be a representative from the Prime Minister’s Department who caught him while he was feeling down over his six-month suspension for alleged power abuse.
The allegation comes on the heels of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s latest charge to win back support from ethnic Chinese voters nationwide, following the dismal performance from the ruling coalition’s Chinese parties, notably the MCA, which has been practically written off as irrelevant.
The allegation also recalls the controversial takeover of Perak, which was won in the 2008 general election by the PAS-DAP-PKR pact.
Jepalang MP and Perak state assembly Deputy Speaker Datuk Hee Yit Fong had quit the DAP to become a BN-friendly independent, tipping the balance in favour of the BN.
Najib, who is also BN chairman, carried out a whirlwind tour into enemy territory in DAP-controlled Penang last weekend, but support towards the BN government in Umno-controlled Johor appears to be eroding as well if Gwee’s claim is to be believed.
Gwee told reporters the man, whom he named as Wee Pao Chin, had arranged for him to meet Najib in Putrajaya on Monday where the BN chairman would announce the news at a media conference.
He said the RM150,000 would be provided by Putrajaya and would be paid to him in one lump sum through the Wee clan association in order to avoid detection.
He also claimed that he was promised more than RM5,000 a month as extra funds and would be given an office and staff to take care of his constituents if he agreed to quit the DAP.
“Their terms were ‘you must stand as independent candidate in the next election to fight DAP candidate’,” Gwee, 44, disclosed at the DAP headquarters here today.
The Bentayan state seat is in the Bakri parliamentary constituency and was until 2008 an MCA stronghold. Gwee beat the MCA’s Lee Chin Yong in the last general election with a comfortable 2,798-vote margin.
Asked why the BN wanted him as a candidate there for the next polls, Gwee said he was told: “Top management kau-tim [has been fixed]. MCA will not put a candidate in Bentayan constituency.”
Gwee said he made an audio recording of his conversation yesterday with the alleged agent — carried out entirely in Mandarin — and handed out copies of the transcript, in Chinese and English, to back his claim.
A DAP member since 1990, Gwee said though he was upset after being suspended six months for alleged power abuse, he would not accept the BN offer.
“Although the past last week I’ve been very down…,” he managed to get out before breaking down into tears.
“I’m still a DAP man. The BN offering me this is not right. That’s why I expose it, to tell BN not every DAP ADUN or MP can be bought over. I love the DAP. My party is DAP,” he said in an emotion-choked voice.
He will be filing a police report later today in Muar and also plans to file a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Batu Pahat.
DAP publicity chief Tony Pua, who was also at today’s conference, said the party will be seeking clarification from the Prime Minister’s Department and called on Najib to disclose if he had instructed his men to entice opposition representatives or investigate and act against imposters.
#1 by yhsiew on Saturday, 1 October 2011 - 9:25 pm
Even if Gwee files a report with the MACC, the later, being pro-UMNO, is unlikely to do any real investigation (apart from staging a show to fool the rakyat).
#2 by monsterball on Saturday, 1 October 2011 - 9:26 pm
There are many actors…around these days….and acting is part of it… how UMNO b can fool his own race.
Tony Pua need to check all details.
This matter revealed certainly speaks good for DAP…and may back fire …..if it is pure acting.
We have seen Mahathir cried ….best acting of his career….and so did Najib at Kajang Park..Sibu..not for getting the Kris kissing …yelling for blood by Hishamuddin.
#3 by yhsiew on Saturday, 1 October 2011 - 9:27 pm
Oops!
MACC, the later should be MACC, the latter.
#4 by tak tahan on Saturday, 1 October 2011 - 10:47 pm
Shiiiiit!.Anything Umno/BN does is all related to dirty money.We,the Rakyat must reject this corrupted and undemoratic government.We must change and move forward to better ourselves.
Mr Gwee Tong Hiang,we salute you.Reject racist!Reject katak!ABU!
#5 by negarawan on Saturday, 1 October 2011 - 11:47 pm
This is yet another example of why Najip Razak has zero integrity
#6 by Loh on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 12:33 am
///He will be filing a police report later today in Muar and also plans to file a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Batu Pahat.///
Please don’t do it. We do not want another witness to die.
#7 by Loh on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 12:56 am
///MCA Youth Chief Wee Ka Siong today clarified that the party did not raise any objection to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Islamic state declaration in 2001 as that did not embrace constitutional amendments.///–Malaysiakini
MCA leaders are forever finding excuse to hide its impotence. NEP was launched without amending the constitution. NEP discriminates non-Malays and is unconstitutional. Yet 40 years into NEP, discrimination continues. Does it matter that there was no change to the constitution? Is MCA saying that they did not oppose NEP for the same reason? If so what good is the argument?
#8 by yhsiew on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 1:22 am
#6 reference.
Agreed. Gwee should think twice before going to the MACC – we have seen how two HONEST people died after walking into the building. Gwee should at least be accompanied by another person when walking into the MACC building. Filing a report with the MACC means bringing its political masters to public shame (which is serious) and we do not know what revengeful action MACC will take against Gwee.
#9 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 8:23 am
I express here no opinion whether Gwee’s claims are true or otherwise. However on the assumption that they are true (for discussion purpose only) it makes one wonder what’s the criteria when someone wants to offer a bribe of the nature alleged. Why RM150,000 only? That’s not enough even to buy a reconditioned Mercedes or medium cost house in today’s world where according to Rajah Nong Chik RM3000 per month is the poverty line! Is this an insult to the financial standing of the giver or intended taker? 50 acres of land sounds a lot but it depends on what land? This kind of land offer is tricky: if it alienated by the state it’s a long process and there is a premium to be paid! Of course if they are near developed areas it’s a lot but what if it’s a TOL at the fringes of jungle? Is it intended for one to build a small house and to grow fruits durians in the orchard?
#10 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 8:34 am
How does what adjudge the susceptibility to bribery offer on the part of intended taker (“Target”)? In political context of crossovers, the package of offer must be meaning enough to the Target relative to his financial standing, and known or reported/suspected dealings, taking also into consideration the state of relationship between that person and his political party and peers. For if the Target were slighted/insulted by too humble an offer, he might just turn the tables against the offeror and disclose the attempt at offer, which will backfire, since such disclosure, will on the other end of the scale, build up political capital of the target within his own party (if already in not such good a state and requiring urgent repair).
#11 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 8:57 am
Comments about perceived dangers in going to MACC. One wonders whether MACC can afford any scandal after TBH and Sarbani. Then again both are alleged to have committed “suicide”! Surely powers-that-be will be angry at the claims. The Bentayan state assemblyman has generated controversies before in his own right. On 19 June 2008, he was thrown out of the Johor assembly hall for not complying with the dress protocol to wear official attire, Ruler was offended, and there was no report of him tendering any apology, which his boss in Penang did. However there is also a potential Achilles Heel. According to NST report, Sunday, October 02, 2011 hi membership was suspended by DAP for 6 months for alleged improprieties in managing party funds. The same punishment was also imposed 3 other DAP members for allegedly using party funds to buy a pick-up truck worth RM45,000 and register it under their own company. See: link at http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/26shuddup/Article/. The DAP imposed a gag order. The powers-that-be could direct the MACC to rake up that which the DAP wants to hush up.
#12 by k1980 on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 9:28 am
Anonymous123: Either the DAP leaders are stupid or they are just ignorant. You expect people to believe without any concrete evidence, except a phone call? Why not bait that agent to pass you a cheque (and videotape the transaction) before breaking the news? Or why not go ahead with their plans, and do a U-turn 24 hours later, and tell the world about it?
http://malaysiakini.com/news/177460
#13 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 10:17 am
Its one thing for a big party to have fringe within itself to do such underhanded politicking. Its quite enough when it come directly from the top of the party itself in such micro-details. What it reflects is basically a party that no longer has a workable system. It reeks of a party whose system simply do not serve the people its suppose to serve and in fact can only betray. Those who run the party, the rank and file, local machineries are simply so DYSFUNCTIONAL that the top of the party has to get their hands dirty and in such micro-details.
The opposition leaders, faced with such much challenges, do not do these things – they concentrate on systems and issues. The spend time to make sure execution is done properly by their machineries BUT they know if they have to do these things then things are simply falling apart and not working. THAT is how things are run.
The details of these are important and must be disclose. The details is not about a scandal BUT about evidence of basically an UMNO/BN party that is BROKEN and its leaders clearly do not know how to fix it..The rakyat need to know to make their decision BUT its those rank and file of UMNO/BN that need to get it in their heads they are part of failure itself.
#14 by Cinapek on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 10:58 am
I find DAP’s handling of this issue, if true, is very amateurish at best and dumb at worst.
As it stands, I do not think anything can be proven. All Najib has to do is to deny it and claim DAP is so desperate to resort to such baseless fabrications. In fact, this whole issue could even backfire on the DAP. And at the risk of being cynical, I would not even put it pass certain parties in BN deliberately setting a trap for DAP because they know they can manipulate desperate people in such issues to their benefit.
If really such an offer was made, DAP should have played along and devise a trap to snare the whole bunch all the way to the top. What a Putragate that would have been. Mr Gwee should have met up with Najib as allegedly offered and wiretap his meeting. By calling a press conference based on recorded phone conversations that are difficult to verify I am afraid DAP has nothing substantial to support these allegations. My advice to DAP is, if you do not have anything more solid, stop it before you make a complete ass of yourself.
#15 by monsterball on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 5:39 pm
Cinapek….take it easy and don’t conclude the 40 year old DAP party amateurish…this and that.
Particularly…Lim Kit Siang have given you countless hope and blessings.
Good to warn DAP not to fall into Najib’s trap…but they will check the details and act…if it can bring Najib down further.
As we all know…wheeling and dealing ..bribing and buying..loyalties..is part of Najib’s character.
He is done for and he is desperate…to survive.
#16 by ktteokt on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 7:45 pm
If the lame frog of Perak can be offered more than a million, why is this guy so CHEAP? Is he not as good as a LAME FROG????
#17 by asia on Sunday, 2 October 2011 - 7:53 pm
All Malaysians knew gov corrupted
No need any solid proof
This government is well-know corrupted
around the world
#18 by Urban folk on Monday, 3 October 2011 - 12:03 am
Where are these RM888 billion sent out overseas started during Mahathir’s ruling time?
#19 by dagen on Monday, 3 October 2011 - 8:56 am
I stopped reading the msm a long time ago. So I could be a little ignorant here. But really wat is umno’s response to the claim by that dap rep? Nothing, I suspect. Am I correct? And of course the proposed meeting with jibby jib is a must-do although we all knew it well that jib had already issued a blanket direction to all umno people in the country to counter pakatan by whatever means including crushing some bodies and causing the lost of some lives. I dont know about best democracy, but in real democracy people have the power to force a leader who make such irresponsible and inflaming statement out of office.
#20 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 4 October 2011 - 10:41 pm
SURE or not 1? Got such thingy happened meh? No bluff 1 right?
Next time, b smarter, go n meet NR n RM in Putrajaya first (like d ful of sai mah), collect d cek or cash n d land first, then expose them, baru got solid evidence mah