Tony Pua is new Selangor DAP chief

Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua was today elected as the new head of the DAP in Selangor. He replaces outgoing Selangor DAP chairperson Teresa Kok.

"I take this with great humility because there is a heavy responsibility and also challenges. I'm coming in at a stage where DAP has practically won all the seats it contested in Selangor and it will be difficult to surpass.

"My challenge will be to maintain the record, and not to tarnish the record set by my predecessor," Pua said after the election.

His aim would also be to assist DAP's allies as well as the party and the Pakatan Rakyat components in the other states for a better Malaysia.

Puchong MP Gobind Deo Singh was elected as deputy chairperson while Sungai Pinang assemblyperson Teng Chang Khim and Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh were elected as vice-chairpersons.

They were chosen by 15 of the newly elected members of the Selangor DAP state committee after a 30-minute meeting.

The committee members had earlier been elected by 687 delegates. There were 34 spoilt votes.

Yeoh, who is also state assembly speaker, led the pack in terms of votes received, at 495.

She was followed closely by Gobind who obtained 491 votes and state executive councillor V Ganibatirau, with 451 votes.

Ronnie Liu makes a comeback

Notably, Ronnie Liu succeeded in making a comeback. He took the ninth spot among the 15 elected candidates.

Liu (left) previously held Teng's portfolio, but was dropped as a state assemblyperson and exco member in the 2013 general election.

He was ousted in the 2010 state DAP election after being embroiled in a controversy over the issue of support letters to businesses when he was an exco member.

"My duty is to represent the voice of the party's grassroots and that is why I was elected," said Liu when asked to comment on his victory.

Earlier, Liu called on the party leaders in the Selangor government to consult the party more closely before implementing unpopular policies, such as the recent regulation on bird nests farming.

‘I’m not the voice of the opposition’

However, he denied being the voice of the opposition within the party, adding that if that were true, he would not have been elected to the leadership.

Apart from Liu's comeback, the new leadership is largely the status quo.

Those who are no longer on the list, such as Teo Nie Ching, Teresa Kok and S Ramakrishnan, were moved to contest in the other states during the last general election and therefore did not contest in this state party election.

They were replaced with newly-elected Selangor assemblypersons, such as Kinrara's Ng Sze Han, Kuala Kubu Bharu's Lee Kee Hiong and Kota Alam Shah's V Ganabatirau.

There was no clear faction in this election, nor was there heaving campaigning from any side. Only 687 of the 1,221 delegates turned up to vote.

Asked if the lack of contest was because it was a post- general election party election, Teng (left), who previously led the Rainbow group, said it was up to the media to speculate.

"It is good for party, but maybe not good for the media... Either way is good, (whether there is) stiff competition or calm, it is a good thing for the party," he said.

The 15 elected members and votes they garnered are:

Hannah Yeoh - 495 (vice chairperson)
Gobind Singh - 491 (deputy chairperson)
V Ganabatirau - 451 (assistant organising secretary)
Lau Weng San - 435 (organising secretary)
Ean Yong Hian Wah - 423 (secretary)
Tony Pua - 422 (chairperson)
Ng Suee Lim - 411 (assistant secretary)
Tiew Way Keng - 411
Ronnie Liu - 370 (publicity secretary)
Lee Kee Hiong - 362 (political education director)
Teng Chang Khim - 358 (vice chairperson)
Charles Santiago - 335
Tan Choon Swee - 329 (assistant organising secretary)
Ng Sze Han - 324 (treasurer)
T Kannan - 301

Pua also announced the appointment of three state assemblypersons to the committee -Damansara Utama's Yeo Bee Yin, Bukit Gasing's R Rajiv and Balakong's Eddie, Ng as well as Serdang MP Ong Kian Meng.

A fifth appointment to the committee will be announced later, he added.