Despite getting in hot water, Voon to stay with DAP

Controversial DAP Sarawak state assemblyperson Voon Lee Shan maintained he will remain with the party "because my two feet have been glued to it since my school days".

Speculation about him wishing to quit the DAP rose after he was suspended for six months, effective March 17 last year, for making public statements detrimental to the party's image and for his explanations pertaining to the complaints lodged against him.

"It will be incredible if I were to leave the DAP at this time," he told reporters at his Chinese New Year open house yesterday.

Voon (left), who won the Batu Lintang seat in the 2006 state election, said speculation about him wishing to quit the party was nonsensical and was spread to create unnecessary tension and animosity among the members.

"There were people who even thought I have already left," he said.

"Why should there any speculation about me when our focus of attack is the BN or what the Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has done to Sarawak and what SUPP (Sarawak United People's Party) and PBB (Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu) have done wrong to the people of Sarawak.

He said if he had done wrong to the party or his constituents, then the people who had been saying negative things about him should be brave enough to tell him to his face.

"But they must come up with constructive ideas on how I can improve my constituency," he added.

Asked whether he would be nominated to defend Batu Lintang in the coming election, he said it was up to the party to make the decision.

"There have been a lot of speculation regarding my candidacy, although my supporters still want me to stand again.

"At this moment, I have not heard anything from the leadership whether I am still needed or not," he added.

He said whether or not he would be contesting was immaterial, but was most important was that the party retained Batu Lintang.

Willing to help

Voon said he would help in the campaign in Batu Lintang if his assistance was needed.

Voon got himself into a hot spot after the DAP convention in Sibu in December, 2009 where he was ousted from the state committee where he held the treasurer's post. He was alleged to have planned the ouster of state DAP chairperson, Wong Ho Leng (right).

After not being elected to the committee, Voon posted several negative comments on his comrades on Facebook and his blog. He also began an open ‘war' with party members in the main media accusing them of wanting to finish him off politically.

Despite the lifting of his suspension, he is not seen in many of the DAP's activities, leading to speculation that he might not be asked to defend his seat.

In fact, some SUPP leaders had invited him to cross over, but he declined.

Voon, a legal practitioner, was a former police inspector before entering politics.

In the 1999 Parlimentary elections, he was involved in a three-corner fight in Stampin constituency and lost to Yong Khoon Seng of SUPP by a majority of 8,897 votes.

In 2001, he stood and lost again in the State election in Pending against Sim Kheng Hui.

In 2004, he was in a straight fight with Yong Khoon Seng, also in Stamping for a seat in Parliament, and lost again by 7,731. Finally, in 2006, he beat Chan Seng Khai of SUPP by 3,407 votes, in Batu Lintang.