GEORGE TOWN: Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin has taken to Facebook to vent her frustration over the treatment she received following the expose on the illegal carbon filter factory in Sungai Lembu.
In a posting today, Norlela lamented how Pakatan Harapan supporters had accused her of being a 'Barisan Nasional mole' over the issue.
"My comrades have distanced themselves from me.
"It is really sad when the Chinese businesses in Penanti are scolding (me) and sympathising with the illegal factory.
"They even called me 'useless ADUN' (assemblyman) for causing the illegal factory to close down and for disturbing those who are trying to make a living," she said.
Norlela also provided a link to the objection petitions by the villagers of Sungai Lembu as well as a lawyer letter to sue the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) after the JKKK sent an SMS to the factory, complaining about some villagers who had fallen ill, allegedly from the factory's operations.
"When people see the signed petitions from the villagers and the letters from the Sungai Lembu JKKK, I hope they will understand that as an elected representative, I have no other option but to raise the people's concerns and only went to the police after I was threatened," she added.
The objection petitions, which have since gone online, were signed by more than 170 villagers.
The objection petitions, dated Sept 25 last year, were sent to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the then Seberang Prai Municipal Council president Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
Meanwhile, Netizens have rallied behind Norlela, questioning why she was being sidelined for raising people's issues.
Bazlan Shah said: "Pelik sungguh saya...kenapa pkr tak back up yb??knp mereka jauhkn diri??where is datin seri wan azizah?DSAI?AMK penang?pkr penang? ..are there hiding?? Atau takut kpd lim dynasty??"
(I find it weird...why is PKR not backing you up? Why are they distancing themselves from you? Where is PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the Penang PKR Youth and the Penang PKR? Are they hiding or are they afraid of the Lim Dynasty?)
Asarudin Ashari said: "YB Norlela Ariffin, you've done an excellent job. We fully support you."
Last week, the embattled lawmaker had told the New Straits Times that she would be quitting from politics after losing confidence on her party, PKR.
Norlela had been disheartened by the attacks against her by party members and party allies over the Sungai Lembu illegal carbon filter factory issue.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and several others agencies raided the carbon filter processing factory on Aug 10.
This was followed by other raids at the Seberang Prai Municipal Council's licensing department, state Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh's office in Komtar as well as service centre and houses on mainland Penang.
Phee was subsequently nabbed to assist in investigations.
Norlela had said that the Sungai Lembu illegal factory fiasco was the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Norlela had been under attack since April after she revealed in a Facebook post that her assemblyman's allocation had been frozen for failing to attend the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas' swearing-in ceremony.
She also drew flak again over her complaints that the proposed Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) did not cover her constituency.