KUALA LUMPUR: Former DAP National Vice-Chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim (left) in a press conference today stated that he has always supported Bersih and its aim to campaign for a free and fair elections.

"My support for any initiative is predicated on it being carried out within the law.

"DAP's support of a sit-in at Dataran Merdeka showed clearly it had every intention of encouraging the masses to go against the law. I felt it was time to draw the line," he said.

Tunku Aziz said the party headquarters then sent out a message asking who among the Central Executive Committee members would participate in the protest to enable the organizers to make necessary arrangements. He replied almost immediately stressing the fact that he is against street demonstration on principle.

"The party is important but my country, the only country I have, will always take precedence if it comes to making a choice," he said.

Tunku Aziz then continued by stating that following his statement both in the Senate and, minutes later, outside the chamber, opposing Bersih's determination to proceed to Dataran Merdeka regardless of whether permission was granted or not, there was a flurry of activities to make him recant by issuing a statement of support.

"Mr Lim Kit Siang visited me at home on 27 April in which he said that it would be difficult for the party to re-nominate me as a Senator.

" I made it clear that I had no wish to cause disharmony within the party and I did not want my name to go forward and asked him to convey this to the Secretary-General in person," he said.

According to him the Secretary-General stated that he had not been punished by the party for his dissenting views and that he had asked to the party not to re-nominate him as DAP Senator for Penang.

"The whole truth of the matter was that because of my statement deploring Bersih's insistence on breaking the law, the party would find it difficult to put my name forward," he said.

Tunku Aziz stated that he tendered his resignation from the party with immediate effect on 28 April, offering to leave the party altogether after a decent interval.

"The Chief Minister of Penang then offered me a senior fellowship at the Penang Institute. On 14 May, Zairil Khir Johari, the 27-year-old CEO of the Penang Institute called me to follow up on his CM's offer to me, adding that the appointment carried an annual stipend of RM50,000.

" I wondered then what manner of man could be so 'biadab' (uncouth)? I have no quarrel with the party or its ideals, but my differences with the Secretary-General over ethical issues are irreconcilable," he added.

- mD