And what did your girlfriend say ?

Yip quit for personal reasons, says Mei Fun

By Clara Chooi

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — Perlis MCA chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun has denied that Titi Tinggi assemblyman Yip Sun Onn’s shock resignation is linked to MCA’s infighting, saying it should not be a campaign weapon in the March 8.

She also denied there was any bad blood between her and Yip and said that the issue of his replacement in the state cabinet was not the only reason behind his resignation.

“It is not a problem between myself and him. From what I know, the exco issue is not the only reason... there are so many reasons behind it (his resignation),” she said.

One of the other reasons, said Chew, involved the issuance of land titles to the residents in his constituency.

“He is actually fighting to grant them land titles but there are some problems I think. However, I have discussed this with the Mentri Besar and I was told that this problem would be solved sooner or later... the state will look into it,” she said.

Chew added that Yip was also facing “local MCA problems” but declined to elaborate on what they are.

She admitted that she had not been able to speak with him today but had received an SMS from him in the morning.

“He said that he had already asked his supporters to be calm and that he will sort this issue out with the Mentri Besar,” she said, adding that he had also called her yesterday but she had missed his call.

Chew also denied that she was the mastermind behind Yip’s replacement in the state executive council, saying that she had merely played her role as the party’s state liaison chairman.

“What I do is according to my responsibility as the state party chairman. I do not have that kind of power of influence to decide on who becomes the state executive councillor,” she said.

A party source had told The Malaysian Insider this afternoon that Chew had, from the beginning, disapproved of Yip being in the council as he was not “in her camp”.

Chew was one of the leaders backing former party vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai in the latter’s bid to oust party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

The source had also claimed that Chew had thrown a fit when her request to place Indera Kayangan assemblyman Dr Por Choo Chor in the council was ignored by Perlis Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Isa Sabu.

Chew, added the source, had accused Mohd Isa of disrespecting the wishes of the MCA central committee and subsequently, an agreement was reached for Dr Por to replace Yip during this year’s state cabinet reshuffle.

Last Friday, Dr Por was sworn-in as the New Town Development, Local Council and Housing committee chairman, taking over Yip’s portfolio.

Chew vehemently denied this, and said that the decision to replace Dr Por was reached after a meeting was held between Ong, Mohd Isa and herself.

“In the first place, after the last election, the candidate proposed by the MCA to sit in the state cabinet had always been Dr Por. I do not know how Yip ended up getting the job. From the beginning, it was Dr Por,” she said.

She was quick to add however that that Yip had not been a bad state executive councillor.

“My advice to him now is to come, sit down, lets sort this out and discuss. Nobody said he was a bad exco member or anything but there are just some principles that have to be followed,” she said.

Chew also urged all parties not to jump into conclusions about the issue as it would be unfair to Yip.

“This is also nothing to do with the so-called factions in the MCA... nothing to do with it at all. The Perlis cabinet reshuffle is a yearly affair,” she said.

She urged all candidates for the coming MCA polls this March 28 not to use the incident as their campaign material to demonise anyone.

“I hope no one makes use of this to their advantage... do not use this as their weapon,” she said.