Aide Accuses Steven Sim Of Backstabbing Guan Eng At Kit Siang S Appreciation Dinner

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INTERNAL feud is said to be intensifying in DAP when an associate of the party’s national chairman Lim Guan Eng openly lambasted its Penang chief Steven Sim Chee Keong with Hokkien vulgarities at a dinner on Saturday (Feb 15) to honour retired supremo and Guan Eng’s father Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang.
Interestingly, the incident happened on the same day party secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook brushed aside claims of any internal power struggle within the party after he was photographed with vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming “affirming their alliance” during Chinese New Year meal.
Such gesture apparently fuelled speculation that the duo may force out Guan Eng from his position on the central executive committee (CEC) if he refuses to relinquish the party chairmanship.
Despite the outburst, an unfazed Sim only reacted with a smile. In fact, an eyewitness confirmed to Malaysiakini that the incident happened when Sim who is also the Human Resources Minister and Bukit Mertajam MP greeted his supporters after the dinner.
Penang DAP chief Steven Sim Chee Keong (second from left) at the dinner to honour the party’s retired supremo Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang (fourth from left). With them is the Penang DAP secretary Lim Hui Ying (far right)The man who berated Sim has been identified as Tan Khong Chong, a special assistant to Guan Eng who is the Bagan MP and faces a significant challenge in the party’s CEC election on March 16.
A viral video footage shows Sim warmly greeting attendees and posing for photos while Tan who stood behind him loudly accused him in Hokkien for having attempted to undermine his “boss” (Guan Eng).
Video Player00:0001:00When contacted by Malaysiakini yesterday evening (Feb 16), Sim appeared unperturbed about the incident.
“Last night’s event was about celebrating Lao Da’s (a respectful term for Kit Siang) birthday. Lao Da was happy and all our comrades were happy too,” he told the news portal. “That’s what matters most to me. Everything else is unimportant.”
Insofar as Penang politics are concerned, Sim is seen as a rising star after he was appointed as the Penang DAP chairman to replace Penang chief minister (CM) Chow Kon Yeow who coincidentally cannot get along with his predecessor Guan Eng.
Loke has dismissed suggestions that he had intervened in Sim’s unexpected appointment given Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh who had secured first spot during the state DAP elections in September 2024 with 1,247 votes (Sim had come in second with 1,237 votes) was made the state party deputy chairman instead.
It has been reported that Guan Eng has harboured intention to push for his sister and Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying to be the Penang DAP chairman hence a potential stepping stone to the CM post in what is seen as a quest to prolong longevity of the “Lim Dynasty”.
Hui Ying who came in 12th in the rank of 15 members with the highest votes during the state party election with 827 votes was eventually appointed as Penang DAP secretary for the 2024-2027 term. – Focus Malaysia

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