I didn’t resign due to pressure from anyone: Lee Kah Choon

GEORGE TOWN – The man dubbed as an “almost chief minister” here did not resign from all his positions in the DAP-led state government due to pressure from anyone.

Quelling speculation here that he was forced out, Datuk Seri Lee Kah Choon stressed that he was moving on to pursue private interests rather than remain as the special investment adviser to the chief minister and a board member of InvestPenang – a state-linked entity.

After some 15 years of public service in persuading foreign and domestic investors, Lee confirmed he is calling it quits, saying it has been on his mind for a while.

“I am not the one who will succumb to pressure. For me, it’s just no more politics. Just want to set the record straight,” Lee told The Vibes.

Lee said he felt compelled to point out that his resignation and the controversy and complication over the Umech Construction Sdn Bhd deal with the Penang Development Corporation (PDC), was unrelated.

“I just wish to set the record straight.”

Under Lee’s watch, Penang had recorded the highest levels of foreign direct investments (FDI) in the past five years, although analysts contended that the inflow of FDI here was also due to the economic standoff between the two biggest global economies – the US and China.

Lee was also a former director of Penang Development Corporation (PDC).

He is now serving a one-month notice before his departure.

Before his role as the state investment czar, Lee was with Gerakan, who had nominated him along with three others: Teng Chang Yeow, Datuk Chia Kwang Chye and Datuk Seri Dr Teng Hock Nan as candidates for the chief minister post in the 2008 general election.

Then chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon was slated to contest a parliamentary seat.

Lee was also among those who had forewarned Gerakan that the voters in Penang were apparently unhappy with the party’s performance in governing the state.

He was a giant killer in politics when as a novice, he defeated iconic DAP chairman Karpal Singh in the Jelutong parliamentary seat in the 1999 general election.

Chow issued a statement yesterday that Lee had resigned from his two posts on October 2.

He received the letter of resignation with a one-month notice.

According to him, Lee has expressed his readiness to relinquish any or all positions and that even before the last general election, the former Gerakan vice-president had expressed his intention to quit to pursue private interests.

“On behalf of the Penang government, I wish to record our greatest appreciation to Lee for his significant contribution to the development of Penang,” Chow said.

Lee’s resignation was trending within Penang’s corporate circle, as Chow chose to release a statement just hours after Lee and former deputy chief minister II P. Ramasamy issued a joint presser to distance themselves from the Umech deal.

On the award of the Byram Industrial Park project to Umech, Chow said PDC had conducted due diligence continuously based on decisions made during a meeting held by a special committee on November 28, last year.

PDC had conducted official investigations into the company’s registration, company profile, experience and Umech was required to bring forward credit facilities support documents from financial institutions as proof of the company’s financial background.

“The board of directors had held meetings to discuss and obtain the latest information on the project on August 19 (2022), October 28 (2022), December 8 (2022), February 9 (2023) and April 11 (2023).”

Lee and Ramasamy had alleged that Chow’s statement on the November 28 meeting was misleading, unfair and caused harm to their professional reputations. – The Vibes, October 10, 2023