Selangor opposition leader Mohamad Khir Toyo has hit back at critics in the DAP and is refusing to apologise over his statements linking the party to “sand mining gangsters”.

“As far as I am concerned, they should just show that they are firm in managing the illegal sand mining (issue). If they are not, it just shows that they are related,” he told Malaysiakini today.

He also dodged threats of lawsuits by the party, challenging the former chief minister to name the DAP leader he alleges is purportedly linked to the gangsters.

NONE “Of course I cannot name names especially if they are figures of the underworld. But the statements were first made by Wee Choo Keong. If they want to take action on me, they (should) also take action on him.

“But everyone knows who is behind this illegal sand mining. It’s so simple. Why is Ronnie Liu suddenly jumping?” said Khir ( left ), without offering any evidence.

Liu, a Selangor exco member in charge of local government, research and development, was livid with Khir’s allegations made by last week that had quoted PKR defector Wee.

He had previously rubbished Wee’s claims, amongst them alleging that he had been holding meetings with gangsters at his exco office.

Also a Selangor DAP committee member, Liu had challenged Khir to name the person he insinuated in his remarks, saying that if the allegations proved false, he would sue him for defamation.

Khir, responding to the threat, called the Pakatan state government a “political mafia”.

“Now this government is very arrogant; they cannot be rebuked. I think it’s worse than the previous BN government. When I was the head of the state government, anyone could rebuke me.

“Why should they worry about me? They should know how to solve their own problems. It’s like they are untouchable now. Anyone who says bad things about them will be threatened. They are like a political mafia now,” slammed Khir.

Free advice for DAP

Taking more digs at the party recently embroiled in a controversy over three-term councillor Tee Boon Hock, Khir offered his advice on how they should run their party.

azlan “You should have referred it to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission first, because this has involved public funds, and not DAP funds. Both Tee and Liu hold public office,” he said.

He added that they should wait until MACC concludes their report before taking action against Tee, who is also a party veteran.

However, when it was pointed out to Khir that Liu had lodged a police report yesterday against Tee, he commented that it came too late.

“They should have made the police report earlier. Now it just shows that he is not sincere,” he said.

DAP’s troubles started when Star first reported last week that Tee, Liu’s former special assistant, had allegedly been misusing the latter’s letterhead and seal to secure contracts for his “cronies” and family members.

tan kok wai dap pc 010808 01 The party at first appeared to close ranks when both Liu and Tee - said to have fallen apart much earlier - held a joint press conference on Wednesday, with both denying the reported allegations.

However, things took a nasty turn when the party’s disciplinary committee headed by Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai ( left ) expelled Tee when it was found that one contract did go to a company in which his son was a partner.

Tee protested the move, calling it a conspiracy to oust him, and the impasse deepened further when the disciplinary committee reprimanded state speaker Teng Chang Khim for his sensational Tweet on Sunday alleging Liu’s involvement.