> Aminah's threat to discredit PKR - a dud

The latest threat by independent candidate in the Penanti by-election Aminah Abdullah’s to "expose" an incident that allegedly discredited the PKR turned out to be a dud when she produced another secret voice recording - of a senior party leader scolding her at a meeting.

The 56-year-old former Penang PKR Wanita chief who quit the party in 2007 had called for a press conference today to "reveal" the incident that she had earlier hinted at involving the conduct of Penang PKR chief Datuk Zahrain Mohd Hashim at "a hotel in Nibong Tebal".

When queried by reporters, however, she admitted that the incident was not scandalous but had just damaged her integrity.

Zahrain had apparently scolded her in front of other PKR Wanita division chiefs and several party leaders, admonishing her for not performing her job.

"If Zahrain does not explain himself about the incident, he should resign from the party," she told reporters at her operations centre in Simpang Tiga Kubang Ulu.

Displaying a CD of the audio recording, she said, "The recording was made when we were at a party seminar in Nibong Tebal," she said, adding that the incident was one of the reasons she left the party in 2007.

Not contented with this latest "expose", Aminah said she would reveal yet another "big surprise", but declined to give details, saying she would reveal it when the time is right.

Aminah had on Monday (May 25) produced an audio recording she had secretly taken of a lunchtime conversation with two PKR members that she claimed bore proof she was offered inducement to abort her election bid.

The revelation had prompted an investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and a report to be lodged with the Election Commission.

The recording showed one of the duo, Cheah Kah Peng and Peter Lim Eng Nam, suggesting that she may be compensated for her expenses for the by-election, which he husband Mohd Rofi Osman put as RM80,000, if she aborts.

The duo later said they were invited by Aminah for lunch at her house, and just had a jovial, casual conversation with them, not realising that they were being taped - theSun.