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©New Straits Times (Used by permission)
by M. Husairy Othman

IPOH: Lawyer Chan Kok Keong is expected to be appointed the city's deputy mayor, the post that has been the subject of dispute in Perak DAP.

Sources told the New Straits Times that the 52-year-old is likely to be appointed a city councillor later this month before being elevated to the number two post in the city council.

It is learnt that state Local Government Committee chairman Nga Kor Ming worked in Chan's law firm as a legal assistant before leaving in 1999.

Nga left the firm to contest the Pantai Remis state seat in the 1999 general election. He retained the seat in 2004 and 2008.

A DAP assemblyman told NST on Friday that Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran had intended to signal his disagreement with Nga's plan to appoint an unnamed lawyer as deputy mayor.

Kulasegaran, a three-term parliamentarian and one of the most popular DAP politicians in the state, had been promised the deputy mayor's post after the March 8 general election.

At the DAP headquarters here on Saturday, Nga alleged that his response had not been sought when the report was written and that it had been written in bad faith.

"It is an unethical and convoluted report, which is only seeking to create conflict. Tell me who the lawyer is."

However, when asked to confirm via SMS yesterday whether it was accurate that Chan was the lawyer referred to in the report, he evaded the question.

The NST reported on Saturday that Kulasegaran would not be seeking a continuation of his term as a city councillor after its expiry on Dec 31 to indicate his disappointment over his non-selection as deputy mayor.

Despite being pressed to come out in the open on Saturday, the veteran politician kept his cool and strove to paint a picture of unity in the state DAP and Pakatan Rakyat.

Although he declined to confirm his interest in the deputy mayor's post, Kulasegaran said he was "ready for anything" and willing to accept the position if offered.

He could not be contacted yesterday for comment and is believed to be abroad.

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