Storm brewing in Penang

Rumblings over state DAP’s list of candidates

BUTTERWORTH: A day after DAP unveiled its Penang line-up for the coming state election, a storm is brewing in the state party with several disgruntled leaders claiming the death of democracy within it.

Leaders who have been dropped and their supporters have now trained their guns on a senior party leader.

Openly critical is Wanita DAP chief Chong Eng, a Penang exco member in the caretaker government who has served four terms as an assemblywoman and three as an MP in Penang.

“There might be a five-man selection committee on the Penang candidates but it’s evident that it is dominated by one man.

“It is definitely lopsided as I am shocked that I am dropped,” she said when contacted.

Outgoing one-term Bagan Dalam assemblyman Satees Muniandy claimed the party is being manipulated by one person who acts like he is an “emperor”.

Satees also questioned why this person is still contesting when he had already served three terms as an assemblyman.

“I am still discussing my next move with my family and I will disclose it to all soon,” he told a press conference at his service centre here yesterday,

Satees revealed that he might contest as an Independent.

Besides Satees, 38, and Chong Eng, 66, others who did not make the cut for the Aug 12 election are Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, 74; Phee Boon Poh, 72; Yeoh Soon Hin, 47; Soon Lip Chee, 46; and Chris Lee, 41, who is said to be ill.

In May, it was reported that there was a plot within DAP to prevent Chow Kon Yeow from returning as chief minister after the state election.

The alleged conspirators felt that Chow was not effective in leading the state and wanted his predecessor Lim Guan Eng, who headed the state for two terms from 2008 until 2018, to return, despite the state constitution having a term limit for the post.

To contain the fallout from the report, the party recently moved to declare Chow as the chief minister candidate should the unity government triumph in the coming polls.

Meanwhile at an event in Bukit Tambun on the mainland, caretaker Chief Minister Chow reminded all DAP members to focus on winning all 19 seats that are being contested by the party under the unity government umbrella.

“Boycott in the party is normal and this usually happens when there is a change of candidates and this must be managed properly.

“So we in the Penang DAP must manage this transition phase properly, in regards to the machinery of the incumbents to the new candidates,” he said.

He also urged all the DAP members to support the selected candidates and focus on securing a big win for the party.

“The list of candidates that was announced on Tuesday was decided by the party and we have to focus now on the campaign in order to win the election,” Chow said.