GEORGE TOWN, Aug 4 — Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai wants to move forward after he accepted PAS’s apology for the poor treatment he received when he turned up to meet its president at the Perikatan Nasional (PN) ceramah in Tasek Gelugor, Penang last Tuesday without an invitation.
The Bayan Lepas candidate, who is also Penang PN chairman, said he accepted the apology issued by PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan with an open heart.
“I redha with what happened and I accept PAS’s apology with an open heart,” he told reporters, using the Arabic word meaning ‘pleased’ after a press conference organised by the Penang Fishermen’s Association to oppose the Silicon Island reclamation project in Sungai Batu here.
Lau said the incident with the PAS grassroots members at Tasek Gelugor was a “small mistake” that does not affect internal relations within the PN member parties, and that all humans have done so at some point in their lives.
“Let us move on. Everything is resolved so let’s put a full stop here.
“All component parties are harmonious in PN,” he added.
Takiyuddin issued a statement late last night apologising for the treatment Lau received after a video of the Tasek Gelugor incident that purported the Gerakan leader was told to leave the ceramah was widely circulated on social media.
The PAS secretary-general said the Islamist party does not condone disrespectful behaviour towards the leader of a PN component party, and told its members and supporters to accept the decision to field Lau in Bayan Lepas, a Malay-majority seat in Penang.
Lau also thanked his political rival from DAP, caretaker Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow for his concern over the whole issue.
“I don’t know why all of a sudden he is concerned for me,” he said in response to Chow telling Gerakan to withdraw from the state polls to protest PAS’s extremism.
Lau said Chow should be concerned about the internal party strife over DAP’s selection of candidates.
“I would like to ask Chow this, first, who is the maharaja in the party that was mentioned by his former deputy chief minister II P. Ramasamy?”
“Please answer this. We, as people of Penang, have the right to know this,” he said, alluding to the “emperor” description used by Ramasamy’s supporters in claiming an unidentified person of influence was attempting to wrest control over the state’s future direction in the elections.
Lau said his second question is whether it was true that Penang state executive councillors aligned to Chow were not fielded as candidates in the state elections.
“I hope he can answer these questions,” he said.
He said Chow should take care of his own party politics.
“PN is okay, nothing will happen and we will go all out to campaign for the remaining days,” he said.
When asked if PAS supporters will now aid him in his campaign after the apology, he said many people have helped him out.
“I campaign according to PDM and those who helped also included those from Bersatu, PAS and even some Umno and MCA people supported us,” he said, using the Malay abbreviation meaning Pusat Daerah Mengundi, or district polling centre.
He said PN is now focused on gaining public confidence so that it can get the mandate to become government on August 12.
