‘Perak DAP too has godfathers, warlords’

MCA Youth claims that the 'high-handedness' trait of DAP leaders also exists in Perak.

PETALING JAYA: The “godfather-warlord” feud in Penang DAP is also prevalent in Perak DAP, MCA Youth chairman Mah Hang Soon claims today.

He said that it has become a trait with the opposition leaders in the two states to sideline other members in the party.

He added that Perak DAP chairman Ngeh Koo Ham and state party secretary Nga Kor Ming have also being “high-handed” in their behaviour towards other members.

He said in a statement that their “authoritarian rule” and “godfather-warlord” behaviour had alienated many Perak DAP leaders.

Mah was commenting on the feud between DAP chairman Karpal Singh and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, which has escalated into an open “warfare”.

“It has become a trait of DAP leaders to be high-handed. Many Perak DAP leaders, who are alienated by the Ngeh-Nga authoritarian rule, are contemplating leaving the party,” he claimed.

This was evident when two DAP representatives had quit the party because they were disillusioned with them (Ngeh and Nga), said Mah, who is Perak state executive council member.

Jelapang assemblywoman Hee Yit Foong left the party in February 2009. Her departure played an instrumental role in the Barisan Nasional power grab in Perak.

The other was Malim Nawar assemblyman Keshwinder Singh who resigned in June 2010.

Too stubborn

Mah, who is Chenderiang assemblyman, said that this “high-handedness” showed that DAP leaders would be indifferent to their electorate should they win in the coming national polls.

“If they form the government, they will not take into consideration the voices of the electorate,” he added.

Mah said that the “godfather” row showed that DAP leaders were “too stubborn to place the rakyat’s welfare above childish self-interests”.

The quarrel between Karpal and Ramasamy erupted when a Tamil daily, Makkal Osai, quoted the latter as announcing that the party would field a list of Indian candidates including three women – D Kamachi, P Kasturi (daughter of the late DAP stalwart P Patto), and an unknown lawyer from Penang, K Mangleswari.

Ramasamy was also quoted as saying that parliamentarians M Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), Gobind Singh Deo (Puchong), Charles Santiago (Klang) and M Manogaran, and assemblymen A Sivanesan (Sungkai), A Sivasubramaniam (Buntong), V Sivakumar (Tronoh) and P Gunasekaren (Senawang) were certain of contesting in the coming general election.

He also reportedly said that he would re-contest both his Prai state and Batu Kawan parliamentary seats.

This irked Karpal who said that no party leader or even member has the right to bypass the party top decision-making body, the central executive committee (CEC), to allot seats for their cronies.

He then warned Ramasamy to behave and not act like a warlord by circumventing the leadership to announce seats for his cronies.

Penang DAP in ‘tatters’

Ramasamy hit back, calling Karpal a “godfather” who dictates what happens in the party. He added that the party should get rid of such “godfathers”.

Yesterday, at the tense Penang DAP annual convention, Karpal demanded a retraction and an apology from Ramasamy. He also refused to shake hands with the latter.

Ramasamy said that he was prepared to leave the party as there was a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation with baseless allegations.

Mah said the Penang DAP was in tatters following the Karpal-Ramasamy bickering despite attempts to defuse the situation by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Klang MP Charles Santiago.

“If Santiago and Lim’s mediation efforts were fruitless, how can the Penang state administration function efficiently?” he asked.

“The ultimate victims of the Karpal-Ramasamy face-off will be ordinary Penangites,” he added.

Mah also took Santiago to task over his silence on the racist remarks made by the Taiping MP Nga recently against Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir.

“By not even whispering a word of chastisement against the Taiping MP, it shows that Santiago consents to such slander despite public outrage by all Malaysians irrespective of race,” said Mah.

Nga had reportedly described Zambry as a “black metal person” during political rallies in Kamunting two months ago. He is said to have used the term as a reference to Zambry’s dark complexion.

Nga had apologised for his remarks. However, he had maintained he was not referring to Zambry’s skin colour or Indians.