KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung has stepped down from PKR’s central leadership council after 18 years in the party, citing concerns over its direction and internal decision-making.

Lee, however, said he will remain a PKR member and continue serving as an MP until Parliament is dissolved.

“PKR today is no longer the PKR I once knew,” he said in a Facebook post today announcing his decision.

He said he could no longer continue in the party leadership, adding that he would instead focus on his duties as a backbench MP.

Lee also said he would continue to carry out his parliamentary role, including supporting institutional reform bills expected to be tabled in June.

In his post, he said he was seeking clarification from the party over recent administrative issues affecting constituency work and public programmes, but said no official explanation had been provided.

Lee said the developments had left him unable to continue working with the current leadership structure.

He stressed that he would remain committed to parliamentary oversight and reform efforts, including proposals on term limits for the prime minister, separation of powers for the Attorney General, and a Freedom of Information law.

 

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) today urged the Selangor government to withdraw newly approved guidelines governing non-Muslim houses of worship and restart consultations with religious groups and other stakeholders.

The party, led by former ministers Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, also expressed solidarity with Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, who recently raised concerns over the guidelines.

“Several of the approved rules have raised concerns among Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and followers of other faiths,” Bersama said in a press statement.

The party said the guidelines, approved by the Selangor executive council last November, included restrictions on establishing non-Muslim houses of worship in commercial areas, limits on building heights, conditions restricting access to main roads, and a requirement of one house of worship for every 5,000 residents.

While the state government has said the guidelines have yet to be enforced, Bersama argued that they are already being used as a reference by local authorities responsible for approving and regulating applications.

“We believe such regulations should not be formulated solely through administrative processes based on recommendations from government departments that view the matter only from administrative and management perspectives,” it said.

Bersama said regulations involving houses of worship were highly sensitive and should be developed through broader public engagement rather than administrative decision-making alone.

The party also said local councillors should play a greater role in reflecting the needs of residents and allowing local considerations to shape decisions on places of worship.

“The Selangor government should return the matter to the Exco and first revoke the latest guidelines approved in November 2025, so that consultation and engagement with all relevant stakeholders can begin anew,” it said.

Bersama called for fresh consultations involving religious representatives, community leaders, NGOs and other stakeholders before any revised guidelines are tabled again for approval.

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — The Petaling Jaya parliamentary office has been unable to access the MyKhas system since May 29, 2026, its MP Lee Chean Chung said in a statement today, making him the second lawmaker allegedly barred from the portal that provides access to constituency development funds.

Lee said he issued the public statement to seek clarification from Putrajaya, stressing that critical matters related to constituency allocations and Projek Mesra Rakyat (PMR) have been disrupted.

“To ensure that the rakyat (people) are not left wondering and waiting in uncertainty, I have decided to disclose this matter publicly today,” Lee wrote.

“In our country’s political history, we have witnessed several opposition MPs, including six from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), receiving constituency allocations after declaring their support for the Unity Government.

“Yet, to the best of my knowledge, this might be the first time in the nation’s history where two government MPs have lost access to their constituency allocation channels,” the PKR leader added.

MyKhas is operated by the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) under the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD).

Both Lee and Subang MP Wong Chen are known allies of former minister and PKR defector Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.

Rafizi, together with Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, also a former minister, has formed a new party set to challenge Pakatan Harapan in seats previously contested by PKR in the upcoming elections.

Wong had speculated that he was likely barred from accessing his constituency funds after attending the launch of Parti Bersama Malaysia. Lee suggested the same, but said PKR leadership should at least provide a clear reason.

“If this decision is related to my attendance at the launch event of the new party led by Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad on May 17, then the party leadership should provide a clear and open explanation,” the MP wrote.

“If my actions are deemed a breach of party discipline, disloyal to the party, or detrimental to the party’s interests, then due process must be carried out. A warning letter could be issued, a show-cause letter could be requested, or a disciplinary investigation could even be conducted through the established channels.”

On May 22, PKR secretary-general Datuk Fuziah Salleh reportedly said the party leadership would contact the six MPs who attended the event, including Lee.

The PJ lawmaker said he has yet to receive any official notification.

“In any political organisation, the principles of accountability and due process should be respected,” Lee wrote.

“What has happened this time is deeply disappointing because no verbal or written explanation was provided before access to the constituency allocation was blocked.”