Report: Gerakan president denies told to leave Perikatan’s Penang event, says was there to meet PAS president

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau has reportedly denied being told to leave a Perikatan Nasional (PN) event last night in Sungai Dua, Penang, saying that he had an appointment to meet with PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.

In a report by national daily The Star, Lau confirmed that Gerakan did not receive an invite to attend the PAS event, but said he went there to speak to Hadi and had to leave for a meeting.

“I was there to see PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang but as the event ran late, I could not speak to him and left,” he was quoted saying to The Star.

Lau reportedly said that Hadi had asked to meet at 9pm before the start of the event, but said the latter had ran late and was present at around 10.30pm.

“As the ceramah had begun I could not speak with him,” he said.

Lau reportedly said he left the event held on the mainland of Penang when it was almost 11pm, as he had to head back to the Penang island — where he is contesting in the Bayan Lepas state seat — for a meeting.

“It is untrue that I was at any point asked to leave,” Lau was quoted as saying, with The Star adding that Lau has since spoken to Hadi after not having the time to do so last night.

Earlier today, another national daily Berita Harian (BH) reported that Lau was said to have been asked to leave the Ceramah Mega Perikatan Nasional Best event in Sungai Dua as Gerakan was not invited to the event.

BH had cited Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong as confirming that the party had not been invited to attend the event last night.

According to BH, the event last night was attended by Hadi, Penang Bersatu chief and PN’s candidate for the Penanti state seat, PAS vice-president Datuk Idris Ahmad and PAS candidates for the state election.

Based on Lau’s Facebook page, he had spent yesterday campaigning at the town of Teluk Kumbar on the Penang island, including meeting the residents of Kampung Paya Teluk Kumbar in the afternoon and campaigning at Pasar Malam Bandar Baru Telok Kumbar.

Lau is also the Penang PN chief and PN deputy chairman.

It was previously reported that Lau’s candidacy for the Bayan Lepas seat under PN was embroiled in controversy, with Bayan Lepas PAS members being opposed to him as they had expected Penang PAS secretary Iszuree Ibrahim to be fielded in that Malay-majority seat for PN.

But Lau was previously reported as saying he had reached out to Iszuree via WhatsApp over the issue before nomination day, adding that it was only a misunderstanding and miscommunication that should be resolved internally.

Polling day for the state elections in Penang and five other states — Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan — will be on August 12.