SEBERANG PERAI, March 4 — Former PKR deputy Youth chief Dr Afif Bahardin, who resigned as a Penang state exco today, stressed he will remain as a Seberang Jaya assemblyman under the Pakatan Harapan state government.

He said he will continue to fulfil his duties as an assemblyman as entrusted to him by voters in the 2018 general election.

"I will continue to serve my constituents as the Seberang Jaya assemblyman,” he said during a press conference at his house in Seberang Jaya here.

Dr Afif explained that he decided to vacate the state exco position after hearing Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow’s opinion and advice this morning.

"After our discussion, I decided to resign as I believe he will be pressured to ask me to vacate my seat. I understand that,” he said.

Dr Afif admitted that in the last few days, there was also pressure from PKR at the state and national levels for him to vacate his state exco seat.

He said the state exco position was not his right, but a position entrusted to him by the state administration for the past seven years.

"I have tried my best to fulfil my responsibilities all these years, so I have no regrets or anger towards the chief minister.

"I fully respect his decision and his announcement this morning that I remain as part of the state government as an assemblyman,” he said.

He added that he will prepare handover notes of his health, agriculture, agro-based industries and rural development portfolio for his successor.

"I handled important issues such as the Penang South Reclamation as well as various agricultural and rural development projects so I will hand this over to the state,” he said.

This morning, Dr Afif met with Chow to discuss his position in the state exco before he tendered his resignation to Chow.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow showing an official letter as he announces state exco Dr Afif Bahardin’s resignation during a press conference on March 4, 2020. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Chow, at a noon press conference, announced that the state exco had accepted Dr Afif’s resignation and that the state will leave it to PKR to nominate a candidate to fill the vacancy.

When asked if he planned to leave PKR and join another party, Dr Afif said his position in the party is still pending a decision by its disciplinary board and leadership.

"I have no plans to join another party although I have received offers from many parties,” he said, but he refused to divulge which party had approached him.

He said if PKR decides to sack him, he will then have to decide whether he wants to remain in politics or return to practising medicine.

"I don’t know what I will decide. I will have to consult my wife first,” he said jokingly.

When asked if he supported the new federal government under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, he said the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president should be given a chance to fulfil the promises he made in his speech on Monday.

"I believe, as a Malaysian, we need to give Muhyiddin a chance since he was appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said.

He said Muhyiddin had promised to continue with the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 and also to have a clean and corrupt-free government.

"As Malaysians, we should give them the chance and space to prove themselves but if there is corruption involved, then we will rise up, lawan tetap lawan,” he said.

Dr Afif also admitted that he was present at the meeting in Sheraton Hotel where the supposed PKR cartel with Datuk Seri Azmin Ali had met and planned an alleged coup on February 23.

"I was there with the full knowledge of my party leaders and I had also informed Chow that I would go there to see for myself what was happening,” he said.

He said it was a critical event that could affect the country, so he wanted to be there to witness it.

"I was there to act as a sort of liaison officer between the state and federal so that I can see for myself and report what had happened to the chief minister,” he said.

He stressed that he had repeatedly stated his support for Chow as the Penang chief minister.

Dr Afif, known as a staunch Azmin supporter, was served a show-cause letter by his party for allegedly being involved in activities to sabotage the party’s Youth Congress in Ayer Keroh, Melaka last year.

He said he responded to the show-cause letter last week and is now awaiting a decision from the party leadership.