PENANG: The Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC) has severed its ties with the Penang Chinese Town Hall (PCTH).
Chamber president Datuk Khor Teng Tong, in a short announcement, said the chamber had withdrawn its affiliation with the Town Hall, an umbrella body for Chinese community guilds and associations in the state. Khor did not state the reason for the decision, except to say that it was not politically motivated. It is believed that the chamber’s top brass was unhappy over the Town Hall’s lobbying for a certain candidate to be the next Penang Chief Minister. The chamber’s decision was made at an emergency executive meeting at the Town Hall building which ended abruptly in five minutes. Khor said a consensus was reached among the 43 directors who attended the meeting. On Sunday, at a dialogue with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Town Hall chairman Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong was quoted as saying that the next Chief Minister should be multilingual. His statement was seen as lobbying for a certain candidate. Lim was also quoted as telling Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon that his successor must have such qualities. Dr Koh had submitted three names from Gerakan as potential candidates to be the next Chief Minister. Lim could not be reached for comment as he is in China. Town Hall deputy president Datuk Lam Wu Chong said he had yet to receive an official notification from the chamber. “We will only decide on the matter after an official notification is received,” he said. - Star
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And now the leaders in the Penang Chinese Hall are at loggerhead, though it is a non political organisation. I hope that the husband and wife won't quarrel simply because of different political stance.