Pakatan top brass weigh in on feud between Boo and Chua

PETALING JAYA: The discontent within the Johor Opposition front has come under national spotlight with Pakatan Rakyat's national leaders calling for action on the matter.

Shocked by Johor DAP chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau's outburst against his PKR counterpart Datuk Chua Jui Meng, PKR vice-president Tian Chua said he hoped that DAP would “do something” about it.

“We will leave it to DAP to sort it out. As a coalition, it is not appropriate for someone in a leadership position to make such allegations so publicly,” he said.

Dr Boo had earlier issued a statement condemning Chua as arrogant, blaming him as the main cause for a split in Johor Pakatan Rakyat.

He claimed that he had dampened talks about seat allocations in the general election, alleging that Chua wanted a “safe seat” for himself.

However, Tian Chua said that “if Dr Boo thinks that what he is saying has merit, he should bring it up to his own leadership and talk to hissecretary-general Lim Guan Eng.”

Lim said both Dr Boo and Chua should refrain from making further public comments, especially on seat negotiations.

“The DAP central leadership appreciates the contribution of Dr Boo and acknowledges his frustrations on being dictated to, in the relationship between DAP and PKR in Johor. However, such matters, no matter how unjust and frustrating, should not be expressed in public unless all avenues for discussion internally between PKR and DAP have been exhausted,” he said.

This was to avoid giving “ammunition” to their opponents, he said.

In JOHOR BARU, state DAP leaders are backing calls for Chua, who is Johor PKR chief, to be dropped.

A DAP youth leader, who declined to be named, said he was in support of Dr Boo, claiming that there had been problems especially after Chua took over as state PKR chief in 2010.

“It is difficult for us to openly voice our opinions because we do not want to compromise our positions in the party but we have been facing a lot of challenges since Chua came into the picture.”

He claimed that he had received complaints about Chua not being able to communicate well with component party members.

“There has been several occasions when the DAP organised a fund- raising dinner and Chua would also hold a similar function at the same time,” he said.

Another DAP division leader said: “We have high hopes to make inroads in Johor and all our efforts will be wasted if this matter is not dealt with soon.”

Johor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed said the public clash between Dr Boo and Chua was not a wise move especially with the general election drawing near.

“Honestly, I do not want to get involved. There is no point for them to make derogatory statements openly,” he said.

Chua was quoted as saying yesterday that Dr Boo should be more more mature and humble, and not get “too excited” over his remarks.

In SUNGAI SIPUT, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the public discord showed that Pakatan members did not have a common stand.