Tian Chua officially sacked from PKR, says report

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: Former PKR vice-president Tian Chua, a staunch supporter of Anwar Ibrahim after he was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998, has been officially booted from the party for contesting the Batu parliamentary seat as an independent candidate in the 15th general election (GE15).

The party’s disciplinary committee chairman Tan Yee Kew confirmed this, saying that the decision was made during the party’s central leadership committee meeting last night, according to a report in Malaysiakini.

He was sacked together with four other party members.

“Yes, yesterday the supreme council had a meeting and we decided to sack him,” she told the news portal when contacted today.

- More -

[superadmin]

Not sacking Tian Chua would have sent wrong signal, say analysts

PETALING JAYA: PKR members might start doubting the party’s resolve if it did not sack former vice-president Tian Chua for having stood as an independent candidate for the Batu parliamentary seat in the 15th general election, says an analyst.

Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Izani Zain said if PKR did not boot Tian Chua from the party, other PKR members might feel empowered to also flout the party’s rules for contesting as independents, which automatically sees them lose their membership.

“Sometimes, the party is impacted if those who are fired have influence. However, in this case, Tian Chua lost in GE15, and he should not be a threat to PKR,” he told FMT.

In November, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who described Tian Chua’s decision to contest as an independent as “disappointing”, said it was PKR’s policy to automatically sack such members, when asked what action the party would take.

- More -

[superadmin]

Downfall of the man who ‘laid down his life’ for Anwar, Reformasi

PETALING JAYA: While the sacking of former PKR vice-president Tian Chua from the party was seen as a matter of course, it was a sad day for the Reformasi icon who had “laid down his life” and been in and out of lock-ups in his fight for justice after Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998.

Party colleagues recall Tian Chua as among the key drivers of the Reformasi street demonstrations which often turned violent with the police using force to break them up.

Among the most memorable moments was when Tian Chua sat on the road in front of a police water cannon truck trying to break up a demonstration at Dataran Merdeka.

- More -

[superadmin]

Forgive me, take me back, Tian Chua appeals to Anwar

PETALING JAYA: Sacked former PKR vice-president Tian Chua is hoping party president Anwar Ibrahim will forgive him for breaching party rules and readmit him into the party.

His party membership was terminated last week because he stood against a PKR candidate in last November’s general election (GE15) as an independent.

He has been given 14 days to appeal the decision, but the former two-time Batu MP, a staunch Anwar supporter, admitted he had “no defence”.

- More -