That's my business: Chong

Kota Kinabalu: Former Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat said Saturday it is his prerogative on who to choose as his lawyer in his suit over the Goddess of the Sea (Mazu) statue project.
"It appears Umno wants to have a finger in every pieÉas if I have to consult them in whatever I do.
"When I build the Mazu statue, they want to get involved. Now that I engage Ansari Abdullah (opposition Sabah Keadilan Liaison Committee Chairman) to be my lawyer, they also want to get involved. I am not using their money to pay for the lawyer's fees," he said.
Chong was contacted for his response to Umno Youth National Secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan's call to the Barisan Nasional (BN) Disciplinary Committee to demand an explanation from Chong for engaging Ansari as his counsel.
On Wednesday, the Tanjung Kapor Assemblyman filed an appeal in the High Court, here, against the Kudat Town Board's (KTB) withdrawal of an earlier approval to construct the multi-million ringgit 100-ft Mazu statue in Kudat.
Chong, in his capacity as Kudat Thean Hou Charitable Foundation (Foundation) Chairman, named the KTB and the Central Town and Country Planning Board in the Local Government and Housing Ministry as the first and second respondents, respectively.
"Are they trying to teach me what to do? Who is Abdul Rahman to tell me who to engage?" said Chong, who was also a former Chief Minister.
Although having stepped down as BN component Liberal Democratic Party President, Chong remains as a party Advisor.
Chong said regardless of whether Ansari is an opposition politician, the fact is that the latter is a very senior lawyer in the State.
As to Abdul Rahman's labelling of Ansari as a person who has been running down the Government at every opportunity, Chong claimed "many people are running down the Government."
On Abdul Rahman's call for Chong to be subjected to disciplinary action (if found to be breaching party ethics, he said Abdul Rahman "is more than welcome if he has any standing at all."

tunku : i think sabah umno is too much in this, it's Chong kah kiat's right who ever he wants as his lawyer, there is no such think in party constitution that you can't engage a lawyer from the opposition.i guess rahman dahlan should just shut his mouth up.