The state MCA liaison committee, too, did not find her remarks amusing.

Both the Negri Sembilan Hainanese Association and MCA state liaison committee want her to apologise to the parties concerned and retract her remarks, Sin Chew Daily and China Press reported today.

The association took the stand during an emergency general meeting in Seremban on Monday.

It took exception to Lee’s choice of words in describing Hainanese in a passing comment when hitting out at Ong during a Wanita MCA Chinese New Year function in Bukit Pelanduk last week.

Lee criticised Ong for washing dirty linen in the public. She said by bringing MCA’s internal problems out in the open, Ong is like Superman wearing his underwear on the outside.

Association president Beh Ah Cheong told the press after the meeting that Lee has degraded and insulted Hainanese with her remarks and wanted her to retract them immediately and apologise to all Hainanese through the press.

Ong, a Hainanese, is unperturbed by Lee’s remark, saying he was not interested in her personal problem, when asked for his comment at a Hainanese Chap Goh Meh celebration on Monday night in Kuala Lumpur.

However, Negri Sembilan MCA chief Datuk Dr Yeow Chai Thiam told a press after an extraordinary general meeting of the committee on Monday that Lee should retract her remarks and apologise.

He said those in the party who are not happy with the top leadership should voice their grouses through the proper channels.

He said he would meet her to find out more about the incident and sought an amicable end to it.

Meanwhile, Lee, who reportedly apologised on the spot for her impromptu remark about Hainanese, said she had no regrets over her remark about the president as there was no personal agenda whatsoever.

“Let them do what they feel they have to do,” she told Sin Chew.

The case of “missing” Port Klang assemblyman, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)’s Badrul Hisham Abdullah, had sparked talk that BN agents are on overdrive to reclaim the state it lost in the general election – buoyed by their success in wresting Perak last week.

However, Badrul Hisham called a press conference yesterday to rubbish claims by Klang PKR information chief Aziz Johari that he had met with a Klang Umno division leader.

He said the rumour was spread by certain people to create confusion in the PR government in Selangor and he had met the party’s top leadership to explain all issues that had cropped up about him.

Asked whether he had been offered to cross over, he said he had not received any offers and he had not thought of jumping to another party, Bernama reported.

On claims that he was “missing” lately and difficult to contact or hardly met constituents, Badrul said: “I am in my area.”

On other claims that he did not receive state allocations and was involved in a “khalwat” case, he said: “No, I did not do it.”

At the same time, it is learnt that BN, particularly MCA and Gerakan, is milking the discontent of State DAP leaders among themselves as well as with the national leadership and with senior State Assembly officials. At least one executive councillor is being courted.

Senior PR leaders claimed that apart from offers of money, one or two members were also being “blackmailed” with corruption charges for alleged abuse of power.

The BN, which has 20 seats as opposed to PR’s 36, need only obtain nine defectors to form a simple majority in the State Legislature.

A meeting held at the official residence of Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim last night was geared towards identifying representatives, including Members of Parliament who may have some beef with the leadership of their respective parties and to iron out outstanding issues.

The three-hour meeting was a cordial affair where everyone present agreed on the need for open and frank  communication so as to allay any misunderstanding among the leaders that will confuse and worry voters.

Except for disgruntled Kapar MP S. Maniackavasagam and several representatives who were overseas, all assemblymen and parliamentarians attended the dinner meeting.

It was decided there was no need to sign any oath of allegiance because ultimately “the allegiance is more towards the voters”.

It was also agreed that such meetings should be held more regularly to straighten out issues and to avoid confusion, as well as to keep everyone in check, said a source.

As chief executive of the State, Abdul Khalid also heads PR in Selangor. He had told a news conference on Wednesday that the meeting would also discuss how allocations to assemblymen could be better spent.

Of late, there had been murmurings among several assemblymen over the amount and method of disbursement of the allocations.
Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman and executive councillor for tourism, consumer affairs and the environment, Elizabeth Wong of PKR said she is confident one will not see a repeat of Perak where the PR government fell following the resignation of one DAP and two PKR assemblymen from their parties, and throwing their support behind BN.

She accused BN of waging a psychological war to make PR politicians suspicious of one another.

“I am not unduly worried as from what we see in Perak, it is clear to all that anyone who jumps or causes the State Government to fall will be hounded till the end of the world.”
PKR’s Seri Setia assemblyman and Abdul Khalid’s political secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad dismissed these overtures as BN propaganda.

“They are using the media to propagate this hype but we are quite certain we will not see a repeat of Perak,” he said.

Sungai Pinang Assemblyman, DAP’s Teng Chang Khim, said the only attempt to woo him was in March last year when he was not appointed as an executive councillor.

“Rumours of me crossing over to Gerakan had been there since 1996 but I can tell you that I am not crossing over to the BN,” he said.

He admitted he has differences with several DAP leaders but said it is wrong to say that he is being marginalised by the whole party.

He also said that PKR, DAP and PAS have a “very good working relationship”.

“We have had four BBC (Back Benchers’ Club) meetings since October and the attendance has been good. Even Badrul Hisham was there.

Teng said in the case of the alleged blackmails, he was confident the assemblyman concerned would rather thrash it out in court than earn the wrath of the people by jumping ship.