Loke denies pressure from Guan Eng

 

Loke Siew Fook said that DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng respected him in his new capacity as the party secretary-general.

PETALING JAYA: 

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook has dismissed claims that party chairman Lim Guan Eng holds any influence over him, describing such rumours as being unfair to the latter.

In a podcast with Malaysiakini, Loke also insisted that he did not face any pressure from Lim when they held different positions in the party previously.

Loke and Lim were appointed DAP secretary-general and chairman in 2022. Prior to that, Loke served as DAP’s national organising secretary alongside Lim, who was the secretary-general, for 10 years.

“I have my own ideas and style of leadership. I also have my own way of doing things. Not one leader can control me,” he said when asked about rumours that Lim was interfering in the management of the party.

Loke added that major decisions, such as election strategies, would need to be discussed with the party’s central committee before being announced to the general public.

“These rumours are unfair to Lim. When he was secretary-general, he did not make decisions on his own either. He would also need to hold discussions with other leaders.”

Loke, who is Seremban MP, acknowledged that while his relationship with his predecessor has changed over the years, he believed that the Bagan MP has the utmost respect for him as secretary-general.

“He respects me as a secretary-general. He calls me SG when he sees me. If everyone can maintain that understanding, no major issues will arise,” he said.

Loke added that he would be seeking re-election as secretary-general at the next DAP congress.

No-Datukship policy

Meanwhile, Loke said there needed to be more flexibility and clearer guidelines for the party’s policy that bars its elected representatives from accepting honorific titles, such as Datuk, while in office.

While he said the policy still stands and there are no exceptions, he noted that there might be extenuating circumstances in which representatives felt obliged to accept the honours conferred to them by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or one of the nine sultans.

“Some might ask if we are so arrogant to the point that we will not accept titles conferred by the palace. We need a better way to handle situations like this,” Loke said.

He added that he only wished to be recognised for his contributions to the community after his retirement.

“If a sultan wants to recognise my hard work and contributions to the country and community by giving me a Datukship after I retire, I think that would be much more meaningful (than being recognised before retirement),” Loke said. - FMT