Amid growing discussion among leaders of the DAP in Penang about who might become the next chief minister, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke reminded Penang DAP chairperson Steven Sim not to speculate publicly about the future candidate.
“The choice of chief minister is not for anyone to talk about. Even the state chairperson (Sim) should not mention any names.
“Sim (above, right) should not continue naming anyone. This matter should not be discussed publicly like this, nor should there be speculation. It is not his place to speculate - even though he is the state chairperson,” said Loke.
He made these remarks during his podcast programme “The Keywords”. He said the decision on the chief minister candidate should be made by the DAP central executive committee, particularly its top leadership.
“So, I advise Sim that on this issue, he should not make any further speculation, nor should he mention any names. Mentioning these names has no meaning to me,” said the transport minister.
Loke also stressed that when the next election arrives, DAP will certainly have only one candidate for the Penang chief minister position.
“There definitely won’t be two, three, or four names. There will only be one name, and we will certainly announce it at the appropriate time.”
However, he cautioned that DAP cannot simply assume it has the right to appoint anyone as chief minister; the party must first win the support and mandate of voters.
“So, everyone in the party should focus on people’s livelihood issues and carry out our work properly. The choice of the Penang chief minister will be decided - but now is not the time,” he said.
The rumours
Loke further said the current chief minister is still Chow Kon Yeow, and Chow deserves respect and should not be treated as a “lame duck” leader.
“So, at present, there is no such thing as announcing any candidate. We will only decide and make an announcement after the state legislative assembly is dissolved,” he said.
Loke said he believes voters do not want to see the current speculation about the future Penang Chief Minister.
“So, I advise Sim not to raise this issue again, and others should not bring it up either. Everyone should focus on their work, development, and how to deal with the issues we are facing.”
Recent rumours in Penang suggest that although Sim is the Penang DAP chairperson, he may not be the only possible candidate for the future chief minister post.
When asked about these rumours on Feb 9, Sim mentioned several possible names, including Penang DAP vice-chairperson Yeoh Soon Hin and Penang DAP state secretary Lim Hui Ying.
Sim also pledged full support to the new chief minister even if he wasn’t chosen. - Mkini
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