Save Our School (SOS) Damansara president Yong Yoke Sung has denied charges by DAP leaders that the group had downplayed the opposition party's contribution to the SOS campaign during a fund-raising dinner last Saturday.

Businessman Yong explained that the dinner committee made no plans for any politicians to speak during the event.

"Had we invited politicians to speak but not the DAP, we would have done wrong," he said.

The issue arose after DAP leaders expressed disappointment with the committee for giving Gerakan state assemblyman for Bukit Gasing Dr Lim Thuang Sing the honour to speak at the dinner (photo).

All four federal territory DAP MPs and several Selangor state leaders decided to boycott the event, which was meant to be a solidarity dinner aimed to pressure for the reopening of the controversial SJK(C) Damansara.

Teresa Kok, MP for Seputeh and known campaigner for the group's cause, criticised the dinner committee's action for making Lim the guest of honour, adding that he had not contributed to the cause and was "merely a state assemblyman".

Venue permit

However, Yong today explained that Lim was invited to speak in his capacity as the Petaling Jaya municipal councillor, as Lim had helped secure a permit for the dinner venue.

Lim is also a Selangor state exco member. The venue in which the event was held, incidentally falls under his constituency.

"We didn't invite Lim due to his political background, but because he helped us secure a permit for the venue. If (DAP - Bukit Bintang MP) Fong Kui Lun helped us organised the event in his constituency, we would have invited him too," said Yong.

Yong stressed that SOS Damansara welcomes help and support from all quarters and that they do not take sides in regards to groups or individuals with specific political affiliations.

"We are not subservient to the DAP. They cannot tell us who can go on stage to speak and who can't," he said.

Yong added that Teresa Kok had been invited on stage to present the group with a donation of 100 books she had wrote and was supposed to be seated among the special guests at the main table.

Still friends

Asked for his outlook on the future relationship between SOS Damansara and DAP, Yong said the relationship between the two sides has always been "very good".

"We won't forget their contribution. We appreciate what they have done for us," said Yong.

For example, he said that during the March elections, the villagers around the vicinity of the school went all out to help Ronnie Liu, the DAP candidate for Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentary seat and former advisor to the group.

More than 2,000 well wishers thronged a suburb of Seksyen 17, Petaling Jaya during the fund-raising dinner.

While the opposition top brass were absent, several tables were occupied by their representatives.

The dinner is the third and largest of its kind organised to raise funds for the SOS committee campaigns and to fund a temporary school now in operation since the closure of the original one in 2001.

Last Saturday's dinner date marked 1,274 days of the closure.