> PPP stands behind Kayveas

The PPP supreme council, which held an emergency meeting this afternoon, unanimously expressed its full support for party president M Kayveas.

The meeting was held following Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s statement on Tuesday that PPP is free to leave Barisan Nasional.

Abdullah said this when asked to respond to Kayveas' ultimatum that his party will withdraw from the ruling coalition if the government does not amend the Internal Security Act.

The PPP meeting was chaired by deputy president Lee Heng as Kayveas is currently in the United States and will only return on Dec 24.

In a statement released to the media, the supreme council said that the prime minister’s remark was nothing more than a mere reply to the media.

Noting that Abdullah did not ask PPP to leave BN, the supreme council said the party "will cross the bridge when it comes to that bridge".

The supreme council also urged party members to remain calm.

In a related development, the PPP disciplinary committee has sacked former president SI Rajah for calling on Kayveas to step down.

According to a report in the Star today, Rajah - who was described as the party advisor - took Kayveas to task for issuing an ultimatum with regard to the ISA.

Commenting on the sacking, PPP disciplinary committee head Maglin D'cruz said: "We are not even sure who he is, he is not even an advisor, we haven't even seen him."

Upon checking the records, D'cruz said it was discovered that Rajah was a member of the party and the committee sacked him with immediate effect.

PPP, a member of the ruling BN coalition, does not have any parliamentary or state seat - Malaysiakini.