DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has defended fielding the party’s chairperson Lim Guan Eng in Penang, amid disquiet within the party on many other long-serving leaders being dropped from the candidate line-up.
He highlighted that it was under Lim’s leadership that DAP wrested control of Penang, and many voters would still appreciate his contributions.
“Guan Eng was the two-term chief minister and of course, he has played an important role in winning Penang in 2008 for the DAP and led Penang for 10 years.
“A lot of changes were made during his time and I’m sure that Penang voters by and large will still appreciate his contribution to Penang,” Loke (above) told reporters, based on recordings of the exchange.
DAP has been facing internal dissent since unveiling its candidates for the Penang election on Tuesday. The list included Lim but dropped several prominent leaders in favour of fielding new faces.
A DAP Youth leader asked the party’s top leadership to explain why Lim was not being dropped.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Penang DAP Youth committee member M Kogilan said he was dismayed to see the list of candidates chosen by the party.
Based on the list, he said there are at least five long-serving assemblypersons who were being dropped.
“I read the statement issued by DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, stating that bringing about rejuvenation in every election including dropping some ‘old timers’ is a normal process.
“Therefore, I want to ask why the party did not drop Lim Guan Eng.
“He is also an old timer who has been contesting in elections since 1986,” Kogilan said.
He also questioned if Lim had no intention of making way for new faces.
“Or is he seen as a young person who still needs to contest in this state election,” he asked.
Long-serving figures dropped
Previously, Loke said DAP’s decision to drop five Penang exco members to face the upcoming election was an effort to rejuvenate the party to remain relevant.
He said the decision was made considering the involvement of new faces would breathe new life into the party that has governed Penang for three terms.
“Some of the long-serving figures include P Ramasamy, who has been the deputy chief minister II for three terms, and Chong Eng who has been an exco member for two terms and previously served multiple terms as an MP,” Loke said.
Despite the explanation, DAP’s David Marshel resigned from the party on Wednesday and vowed to contest the election as an independent candidate with the aim of preventing Lim from becoming chief minister again.
Bagan Dalam incumbent Satees Muniandy has also announced similar moves to defend his seat after being dropped from the DAP line-up.- Mkini
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