DAP delegates debate behind closed doors

The DAP has moved to hold the debate session of its National Conference 2019 behind closed doors, a departure from its practise since 10 years ago where all sessions throughout the day were open for media coverage.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng later told reporters the closed door session with 969 delegates, held at Shah Alam's Ideal Convention Centre, was to give way to discussions on policies.

"Now that we are in government, we want to discuss issues which are important for policies, which need to be confidential," said Lim, who is also Finance Minister.

The media was earlier allowed to cover the opening session involving speeches from DAP chairperson Tan Kok Wai, Lim's policy address and a brief remark by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

The opening session ended at about 11.30am before proceeding behind closed doors after 1pm until the end of the day's agenda at 5.30pm. According to its official programme, among matters scheduled to be discussed is amendments to the party's constitution.

According to a summary distributed to the media, the amendments include substituting an existing clause with a new one which states that "the Central Executive Committee shall set up a Disciplinary Committee to deal with disciplinary matters in the party."

The disciplinary committee will comprise a chairperson and not less than 10 members, with a maximum of 20, to be appointed by the party's Central Executive Committee.

Quizzed on whether concerns of any sensitive issues being raised had prompted the close door measure, Lim said there will be some "internal governance affairs" matters discussed.

"We want to have a frank discussion," he added.

Separately, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang (above) said the closed door session would encourage party delegates to give their views.

"We want all to give their views.

"We don’t want selective reports; we want to avoid that," said Lim.

Last December, Lim had mocked MCA president Wee Ka Siong for holding the BN component party's AGM behind closed door.

The Iskandar Puteri MP, at the time, accused Wee of being afraid the media would pick up on his party members purported anger over MCA's role in defending former premier Najib Abdul Razak over the 1MDB scandal.

DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke Siew Fook (above), meanwhile, said that with media presence, delegates tend not to voice freely their thoughts.

"We want to give them a free environment to voice their opinion.

"Usually when there is the presence of media, they tend to reserve their comments. It’s not that we control them," he said, adding that the problem was observed after opening the annual congress to media coverage for the past 10 years.

"We understand the psyche of our members. They are worried they might hurt the party if they voice out something in the presence of the media.

"We are in government now and that’s why we want to give them a free environment to say it out loud," he said. - Mkini