Penanti rep harassed over her work, to quit politics
GEORGE TOWN: Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin is quitting politics for good after losing confidence in her party, PKR.
The embattled lawmaker said she had been disheartened by the attacks against her by party members and party allies over the Sungai Lembu illegal carbon filter factory issue.
She said even her family members had been harassed over the matter.
“My family is also upset with me after being subjected to harassment, and I feel like I have nowhere else to go.
“I am stressed out by this entire issue,” she said when contacted yesterday.
The Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) and oth- er agencies raided the carbon filter processing factory on Aug 10.
This was followed by other raids at the Seberang Perai Municipal Council’s licensing department, state Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh’s office in Komtar, as well as service centre and houses in mainland Penang.
Phee was arrested the following day.
Norlela said the illegal factory fiasco was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
“I suffered a stroke on July 21, following attacks over a Facebook live video, where I spoke out against the Penang Transport Master Plan not covering the Penanti area.
“Following that, I have been in and out of the hospital and my doctors discovered that I could be suffering from an auto-immune disease, where my immune system attacks my body when I am under stress.
“My doctors have advised me to take it easy, but now I am being attacked over the Sungai Lembu illegal factory issue and I cannot take it anymore.”
Yesterday, Norlela revealed that she was asked by her party to explain her Facebook post thanking MACC for taking action against the factory.
“I received a call from Penang PKR chairman Datuk Mansor Othman saying that he did not object to my complaints over the factory to various local authorities.
“However, the party wanted my explanation on my Facebook post, which read ‘Alhamdulillah... finally. Terima kasih SPRM (MACC)’.”