Perhaps Both Guan Eng And Chow Should Step Aside

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 It is normal to think that if you hear 10 people say the same thing about a person or an issue, chances are that it could be true or at least, there is an element of truth in it.
In the case of the reported tussle between two camps in Penang DAP, real or imagined depending on who you talk to, I can safely say it’s the real thing, like Coca-Cola.
While the popular carbonated soft drink is all sugar, the real thing happening in Penang is anything but sweet.
The relationship between the leaders of the two camps is not even bittersweet. It is sour, and probably as salty as the water at Batu Ferringhi.
Call it by any name, “Emperor” or “Tokong”, it really doesn’t matter. It is clear that one faction in Penang, led by DAP national chairperson Lim Guan Eng (above, left), called the shots in the Penang DAP. (Without even naming names, don’t we all know who is referred to as the “emperor” now?)
On this latest Penang DAP saga, Malaysiakini’s morning brief on July 28 summed up the “rumbles of discontent in Penang” best. I will comment where relevant.
The decision to drop several DAP incumbents for the Penang state election has courted displeasure, with one dropped leader claiming that it is the handiwork of the “emperor”.
Incumbent Bagan Dalam assemblyperson Satees Muniandy also claimed that the “emperor”, whom he did not name, was riding on the “Green Wave”, using it as a fear-mongering tool to make himself more powerful.
It seems that before every election, trouble will emerge within the Penang DAP. The “emperor” or “tokong” thing is nothing new. It has been raised before.
Outsiders are unaware of why Satees was dropped, like the other incumbents. But I can say it was courageous of him to speak up against the party leadership and be the “bad guy” to rock the boat.
Incumbent Bagan Dalam assemblyperson Satees MuniandyWhen something is wrong in the party, speaking up is the right thing to do.
As for the so-called “Green Wave”, I feel inclined to think that it is a non-issue in a state like Penang. Perhaps, there is some truth in Satees’ allegation of someone’s fear-mongering tool.
A little courtesy and respect
P Ramasamy, the caretaker deputy chief minister II who was also not included in the line-up, pondered if this is the same DAP he had joined close to two decades ago.
Seriously, why is it so difficult for party leaders to inform the dropped incumbents beforehand of the party’s decision? A personal call from the secretary-general will surely be welcomed. But no, they did not do it. Why?
Caretaker Penang deputy chief minister II P RamasamyAs a party elder who is 74, Ramasamy expects a little courtesy and respect, and that simple gesture was not even accorded to him. So, don’t blame him for being annoyed and unhappy.
Similarly, DAP Women chief Chong Eng regretted the party’s decision to leave her out of the race, noting that DAP’s current success was due to the sweat and toil of numerous individuals.
Chong has always been a party loyalist. As a woman too, she is more diplomatic in expressing her disappointment at being dropped.
DAP Women chief Chong EngThe long-serving DAP Women chief is 66 and has been an elected representative, both as an MP and state assemblyperson, for some three decades. I think that’s a long enough tenure.
(I’ve also said that if you take up politics as a selfless service to the people and nation, you would have done your part after 10 years. After a decade, it’s time for others to take over.)
Direct accusation against Guan Eng
However, former Seberang Perai city councillor David Marshel did not pull his punches. After quitting DAP, he announced he will contest as an independent candidate in the Perai seat in an attempt to keep the state “free of Lim Guan Eng”.
He said the main reason for entering the fray is to ensure that Chow Kon Yeow continues as chief minister after the election.
He also accused Guan Eng of wanting to become chief minister again.
This is the most direct accusation against Guan Eng. It’s not difficult to notice that the DAP national chairperson is keen to be the chief minister again.
Of course, Guan Eng can say that he harbours no such intention. But his movements in recent times prove otherwise.
He has moved his base back to Penang. He has even started a Penang foodie video stream, describing himself as a “Penang lang” (Hokkien for a Penang person).
Hello, how do you expect Chow to feel? I wouldn’t blame him for being uncomfortable and threatened by Guan Eng’s moves.
Incumbent Penang chief minister Chow Kon YeowAnd so, finally, Chow reportedly said the list of DAP candidates for Penang submitted by the five-member state DAP selection committee was rejected by the national leadership.
We can guess who made the decision at the national DAP selection committee. It is also a five-member committee but if Guan Eng and party secretary-general Anthony Loke were to insist on some names, it is likely that the other three will have nothing much to say even if they disagree.
Guan Eng and Chow creating dissent
I find Loke’s defence of Guan Eng on July 28 quite childish, to be honest. Surely, everyone knows that the former chief minister has contributed a lot to Penang.
Hello, Mr sec-gen, other DAP leaders also contributed much to the party, people, and country. Some were fortunate to be YBs and have their pension to live on while many others get nothing.
Please, Mr Loke, I expect better from you. Do not be an apple polisher for your ex-boss. As sec-gen, you are the top gun in DAP now. If you need to praise, praise everyone in DAP. Why didn’t you say something nice about Chow as well?
DAP secretary-general Anthony LokeGuan Eng and Chow will be around for the next five years. They will win on Aug 12 and whether Chow or Guan Eng will be the chief minister on Aug 13 is anyone’s guess.
Seriously, I think that both Guan Eng and Chow should step aside as soon as possible. They are the ones creating dissent in the party, ever since the DAP won Penang.
If DAP were still in the opposition today, I believe the two men would be the best comrades-in-arms. Once in power, it’s a different story altogether. Isn’t that sickening?
Chow has said that by the next election, his name would not be on the list of DAP candidates. Well and good. Chow is 65 today, he will be 70 at the next election. Time to call it a day.
Guan Eng is two years younger. At 63 today, he would be 68 at the next elections. Time to step aside too.
Let me be blunt as always. Both Chow and Guan Eng do not impress me as political leaders. Chow is dull and colourless. Guan Eng does not seem to possess the intellect to lead. He falls easily by the wayside. A case in point – his pending issues in court.
I wish DAP leaders in the mould of Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh were still around and active. They would probably be the best chief minister Penang will ever have.
Perhaps, Penang might be better with a female chief minister. Five years from now, maybe Hannah Yeoh or Yeo Bee Yin should be fielded in Penang and take the lead in the Pearl of the Orient.
For me, enough of this emperor and tokong nonsense in Penang. Give us a break, DAP! - Mkini
FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a veteran Sarawak editor and heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at [email protected].
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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