Is this the same DAP I joined in 2005, wonders Ramasamy

 

P Ramasamy, who was dropped as a candidate for the coming Penang state election, is wondering if this is still the same DAP he had joined almost two decades ago.

The 74-year-old academic-turned-politician, who became a DAP member in 2005, expressed this in relation to what he claimed to be a lack of transparency in announcing the line-up.

"Yesterday, the official announcement on the line-up was made. A number of incumbents were dropped, citing party rejuvenation but the fact is many younger candidates were dropped to be replaced by much older candidates.

"Last month, the party dismissed as fake a purported viral list of DAP candidates for the state polls, but yesterday's list turned out to be almost the same.

“Why this discrepancy and inconsistency?" the incumbent Perai assemblyperson and caretaker deputy chief minister asked in an interview with Malaysiakini.

Furthermore, Ramasamy (above) said the arrangements gave the impression that there was something wrong within Penang DAP where one particular alignment had more clout on the line-up.

However, he did not elaborate on this.

According to Ramasamy, the DAP leadership's reasoning for dropping some of the incumbents seemed more like an "afterthought".

"The least they (DAP) can be is more transparent, and meet us (dropped incumbents) before finalising (the list).

“I've served as a representative for three terms since 2008, and now DAP is part of the ruling coalition (at the federal level). There must be maturity and transparency," he added.

Below are excerpts from the interview:

Q: Do you foresee any backlash from Indian voters in the state polls, stemming from this episode?

A: My voice is for all Malaysians, irrespective of race. Politics is a process; whether or not this episode will result in any backlash is too soon to tell, we have to wait and see.

When I left the world of academics in 2005 to join DAP, there was a national gravitation towards DAP. I've been with DAP for 18 years. It is an idealistic party, but now the question is whether the party is still the same as the party I joined all those years ago.

Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge faced by Penang in the state election?

A: The “Green Wave” is probably there. I don't think Pakatan Harapan will lose the majority, but the coalition may not get the same majority garnered in the last election. We may lose Malay votes to Perikatan Nasional in Malay-majority areas.

The fact that (caretaker Kedah menteri besar Muhammad) Sanusi (Md Nor) was arrested and charged has not helped the situation. Harapan will win (Penang) but the majority may not be as big as last time. They (PN) have optimised race and religion well, and now (former premier Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) is working with PN, so it's not easy.

Q: What are you most proud of achieving during your stint?

A: Again, I represent all races, but I'm more known for championing the plight of marginalised Indians. After DAP captured Penang in the 2008 general election, I proposed establishing a deputy chief minister's post to recognise the sacrifices of the Indian community, and to represent their voice.

I was tasked with the job, and during my stint, I have helped the underprivileged and the B40 (low-income group) in various ways. If you recall, BN's poor performance in the 2008 election was partly caused by the instances of temple demolitions under the BN rule, which caused the Hindraf rally the year before.

The first thing I did after the swearing-in was to make sure no place of worship is demolished in the name of development in Penang. That's a difficult team effort.

Next were funding and land for Tamil schools, which were “patchy” during the BN rule. I also created scholarships for Indian students and undergraduates.

During my time, temples were also allocated lands. I did the best I could. I'm not perfect, but I managed to work through a lot of obstacles, and within constraints. I have also fixed the imbalance pertaining to race-based employment at state agencies and made it based on merit.

Q: Has anyone from PN approached you following rumours of your exemption from the election?

A: I read some rumours that I was going to meet (PN chairperson) Muhyiddin (Yassin). It is completely far-fetched. I don't like PN, and don't agree with PN. In fact, I'm one of the most vehement critics of the coalition, and its leaders, including Sanusi, (PAS president Abdul) Hadi (Awang), and Mahathir.

I'm still a DAP member, and state DAP deputy chairperson. Under present circumstances, claims that I may work with PN for the upcoming polls are fake news.

Q: What's next?

I may write a memoir, or get into politics in a broader sense. I've been told by my friends to do politics in a national profile, so I might consider that. I will continue writing as it is a good mental exercise.

I will continue to fight against racism, racial discrimination, narrow-minded politics, and for the betterment of society. - Mkini