Loke: 'Insincere' Ramasamy used DAP for personal gain

 STATE POLLS | DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has dubbed former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy as an "insincere" opportunist who used the party for his own gain.

He said this is because Ramasamy quit DAP less than two weeks after the incumbent Perai assemblyperson was exempted from the party's candidates list for the state polls.

"Did he use the party for positions all this while? Now that he is not given any (seats), he is quitting. To me, this reeks of insincerity.

"If he loves the party, he will not quit it even though he is not given a seat. We have other incumbent assemblypersons and exco members who were not nominated, but they are still campaigning for DAP," Loke (above) was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian while campaigning in Chennah, Negeri Sembilan, today.

Loke said although he is upset with Ramasamy's exit, he would not go and beg the latter to reconsider his decision.

"We will not beg for anyone who has quit the party to stay. People come and go, but the party will remain strong," added the Pakatan Harapan candidate for Chennah.

P Ramasamy

Earlier today, Ramasamy announced his decision to quit DAP, citing unhappiness with the party due to an “emperor” who he said was the cause of the crisis in Penang DAP.

Following the announcement, caretaker Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow acknowledged there could be possible backlash over Ramasamy’s decision, and urged voters to “overcome their dissatisfaction”.

Campaign unaffected

Meanwhile, Utusan reported that Loke said no individual is bigger than the party.

He stressed that Ramasamy's exit will not affect DAP's campaigning in Penang.

"This does not affect anything. We expected that he will not assist in our campaign when his name got left out.

"Two of his followers are also contesting as independents, so this is totally expected," he was quoted as saying.

This was in reference to incumbent Bagan Dalam assemblyperson Satees Muniandy and former Seberang Perai city councillor David Marshel, who also quit DAP after being excluded from the candidates' list. - Mkini