Gerakan said yesterday that it was disrespectful for Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to force a by-election for the Penanti state constituency in Penang, without consent and knowledge from Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

In a statement, Penang Gerakan Secretary Ong Thean Lye said Lim should have been told about the resignation of former Deputy Chief Minister 1 Mohamad Fairus Khairuddin as Penanti assemblyman, as well as the by-election.

“That Lim said he had no knowledge of the matter shows PKR does not respect him as the chief Minister,’ said Ong.

“As the state’s chief executive officer, Lim has the prerogative over matters in the state administration, especially in the appointment and replacement of the Deputy Chief Minister. He seems to have lost his power to PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” said Ong.

“We understand that Lim, being the DAP secretary-general, can only control his own party and his men but when the post of DCM involves the state administration, Lim should be firm in making a decision,” said Ong, adding that this latest fiasco only added to people’s fears that the Pakatan was not a coalition of power-sharing but a coalition of supremacy of one man.

Ong questioned whether Lim supported the idea of having a by-election in Penang, in the midst of facing the current global economic crisis.

Ong also said that PKR was forcing the by-election to allow Anwar to pick his own man to be the next Deputy Chief Minister 1, at the expense of the people’s interest because a by-election cost the government a lot of money and energy as stated by Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof.

It was reported in the newspapers that the two remaining Malay PKR assemblymen – state executive councillor and Batu Maung Assemblyman Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim and Sungai Bakap Assemblyman Maktar Shapee – were seen as unacceptable for the DCM post.

Ong also urged Fairus to give a full explanation over the resignation because only on Wednesday Fairus had responded to an earlier call by Gerakan that he would continue to serve the constituents in Penanti. However, on Thursday, a statement issued through the PKR publicity bureau said Fairus had resigned as assemblyman.