SUBANG JAYA, June 15 — Malim Nawar assemblyman Keshvinder Singh today announced his decision to quit DAP and declared his support for Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Kadir as Perak mentri besar.

It is understood that the first-term assemblyman has personal money issues and his car had been repossessed after defaulting on the month repayments. The 39-year-old lawyer had claimed last year that representatives from Barisan Nasional (BN) had approached him last year, offering RM20 million for him to jump to their side.

He is the second DAP lawmaker to resign after Jelapang assemblyman Datuk Hee Yit Foong , whose departure led to the collapse of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Perak government early last year.

Keshvinder’s (picture) resignation came just days after PKR claimed that three Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers were leaving the ruling coalition.

With his departure, DAP now has 16 lawmakers in the 59-member Perak assembly.

“To protect the interest of the people in my constituency and to ensure continued development I have decided to support and co-operate with the Perak government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Kadir,” said Keshvinder, reading from a prepared statement.

“With my action, I am expecting assistance and full co-operation from the government for development and to solve the people’s problem,” said the father of two.

“The decision was made after thinking deeply and not because of pressure from any party and I hope the people of my constituency can accept and respect my decision which was made in the interest of the people,” he said.

Keshvinder said he tendered his resignation to party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng this morning.

He added that his resignation had nothing to do with the state party leadership but was made out of concern for his constituents.

“Nothing to do with them,” he said when it was pointed out that Hee had resigned out of disappointment with state party chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming.

He said he would remain as an independent assemblyman and had not thought of joining another party.

“So far I have not thought of joining any party. I have never talked to Umno about this,” said Keshvinder, who won the seat with a 1,362 majority against MCA's Dr Chai Song Poh in Election 2008.

On how his constituents would react to his decision, he said he would go to the ground to explain his decision.

“Right now the response won’t be very good. But I have to explain to them,” he said.

Keshvinder will join Hee, and former PKR assemblymen Osman Jailu and Jamaluddin Radzi as BN-friendly independents in the state assembly.