The son of a former MIC strongman has been nominated as one of the senators for the DAP-led Penang government despite facing backlash from its ruling party grassroots.
In the state legislative assembly today, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow tabled a motion to propose Dr Lingeshwaran RA and Amir Ghazali as the new senators for the state government.
This is to replace Lim Hui Ying and Fadhlina Sidek, who both resigned on Nov 4 last year to contest in the 15th general election.
Fadhlina is now the education minister while Lim is her deputy.
Deputy Chief Minister I Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman (PKR-Pinang Tunggal) seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
The Penang government has two quotas for senatorship, one for DAP and one for PKR.
Lingeshwaran (above, left) is the son of R Arunasalam, a well-known businessperson and former MIC strongman in Penang.
Chow told the state assembly that the 36-year-old doctor is the Sungai Bakap Hospital director and previously worked in different departments of Penang hospitals including Seberang Perai Hospital and the State Health Department.
Amir is a senior PKR member and acts as political secretary to former Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.
He is also the Penang PKR information chief and honorary secretary of the Penang Drug Prevention Association (Pemadam) since 2019.
Yesterday, some 24 Penang DAP branches gathered in front of the party headquarters, openly rejecting the nomination of Lingeshwaran as a senator.
The grassroots claimed that Lingeshwaran only joined DAP four months ago and did not make any contribution to the party. His family background was also strongly attached to MIC.
They also expressed disappointment with the party's decision to sideline those who had worked hard for DAP for years.
‘Respect party constitution’
When contacted by Malaysiakini, DAP organising-secretary Steven Sim explained that this issue was discussed thoroughly at different levels of leadership including the DAP five-person committee.
"Those who attended gave their views freely in those meetings."
The committee, responsible for deciding matters related to candidacy, consists of secretary-general Anthony Loke, chairperson Lim Guan Eng, parliamentary leader Nga Kor Ming, deputy chairperson Gobind Singh Deo and vice-chairperson M Kula Segaran.
Sim also urged party members to respect the party's constitution as its central executive committee (CEC) has given its full mandate to the five-person committee on Oct 11, last year to decide on all matters related to candidatures.
"We are a democratic party, everyone can voice their views through the proper channel.
"But we must remember we have our own constitution and process. Everyone must respect that. Once a decision is made, we stand in solidarity together," he said.
Sim was responding to DAP CEC member Vincent Wu, who yesterday pointed out that the party's decision may have violated the party constitution.
According to Section 10(c), Clause XXX of the constitution, no member who has joined the party for a period less than two years shall be eligible to stand as a candidate for state assemblyperson or MP.
However, Sim stressed that the full mandate given by the CEC to the five-person committee is applicable to all kinds of situations.
"This was decided in the CEC meeting on Oct 11 and was clearly minuted," he said. - Mkini
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