“I have my job to do and I don’t have a choice about this. He (Kayveas) is my boss and mentor, and he groomed me. I am always grateful to him.”
Senator and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) supreme council member Datuk T Murugiah, pledging allegiance to party president Datuk M Kayveas. Murugiah pooh-poohed the rumoured strife between the two. (Source: Murugiah: PM praised me, The Star, 12 Nov 2008)
Kayveas called into question Murugiah’s conduct as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department overseeing the Public Complaints Bureau (PCB), following his championing of DAP parliamentarian Teresa Kok’s complaints about the food she was served in police detention.
“He has become so high and mighty that he does not even answer my calls.”
Kayveas, on Murugiah. The party president alleged that his underling had become “overly ambitious” and no longer respected the party leadership. (Source: Kayveas picks replacement for deputy minister Murugiah, Malaysiakini, 13 May 2009)
Soon after Kayveas made this comment, Murugiah and six others were sacked from the party in a move motivated, according to commentators, by jealousy of the junior politician’s rising fame. According to Kayveas, Murugiah’s ousting by the party’s disciplinary board was because he had allegedly tarnished PPP’s good name and tried to get the party de-registered.
“I accept the decision of the delegates from all over the country who have unanimously supported me. I’m sure they have thought deeply before deciding.”
Murugiah, on being elected PPP president at a specially-arranged emergency meeting. He declined to answer questions on the legalities of the controversial meeting, saying that “on the legal bits, I’ll leave it to the lawyers.” (Source: Murugiah ‘elected’ as new PPP president, Malaysiakini, 24 May 2009)
“This is a bad example being set by a deputy minister who is creating lawlessness. It really shows the true colours — a desperate and power crazy politician,” Kayveas said on Murugiah’s “election” as party president. “He might as well call himself the prime minister,” Kayveas added, stressing that he was still party president. A day later, Kayveas urged Murugiah to “form another party and stop disturbing PPP”.
“I am disappointed with what had transpired because we are facing a bigger problem than the one faced by the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party … Usually, we don’t interfere but if it affects the credibility and image of BN, we cannot neglect or leave it alone.”
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, on the PPP leadership crisis. Muhyiddin said he would meet both Kayveas and Murugiah for clarification on the issue, so that immediate action could be taken, and BN’s image could be spared. (Source: Muhyiddin To Meet Kayveas And Murugiah Tomorrow, Bernama, 25 May 2009)
Commentators are already comparing the PPP scuffle to the Perak state government crisis. 
