Ramkarpal Enters Fray Kasthuri To Defend Dap Cec Seat

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Ramkarpal Singh topped the list of 15 elected committee members in the Penang DAP elections last September, while Kasthuri Patto was placed 25th in the 2022 CEC polls.
PETALING JAYA: Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh will be vying for a seat on DAP’s central executive committee (CEC) at its elections next month, while former Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto will be defending her post.
The two were known to be loyal supporters of embattled party chairman Lim Guan Eng in the past. It is not known if their alignment has changed.
Ramkarpal’s decision to throw his hat into the ring means that he and his elder brother, Gobind Singh Deo, who is the Damansara MP and digital minister, will both be in the race, making them the second set of siblings vying for election to the CEC.
The other siblings are Guan Eng and his sister, Hui Ying, who is the Tanjung MP and deputy finance minister.
Guan Eng and Hui Ying’s father is DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, while Ramkarpal and Gobind are the sons of late party veteran Karpal Singh.
Ramkarpal confirmed to FMT that he would be entering the fray, saying he had contested a CEC seat once but lost.
He turned heads at the Penang DAP elections last September when he topped the list of 15 elected committee members, ahead of Steven Sim who was eventually elected as the chairman. Ramkarpal is the deputy chairman.
Kasthuri, the daughter of the late P Patto who had served alongside Kit Siang and Karpal in the 70s and 80s, said she was looking forward to DAP being more inclusive, to provide a platform for all voices to be heard.
“I am confident that the formula of inclusivity will propel DAP to showcase itself as a party for all Malaysians, from all walks of life,” she said.
She also said the party must always remember the contributions, sacrifices and selfless acts of her father, Kit Siang, Dr Chen Man Hin, and Karpal.
They should also appreciate the veteran leaders who had decided to make way for a younger and committed team to lead the party, she said.
“While we may have differences, what is important is to set them aside and work under one DAP flag – united, strong, resilient and determined to make the Malaysian dream come true,” she said.
Kasthuri is the party’s deputy secretary for international affairs and the chairman of the housewives’ social security scheme at Perkeso.
She was the Batu Kawan MP for two terms from 2013 to 2022 but declined to defend her seat at the last general election following disagreements with some leaders in the state.
She was placed 25th at the 2022 party elections and is expected to win again as under the DAP constitution, nine of the 30 elected CEC members must be women.
About 15 women are expected to stand for election. Among them are party veteran Suputeh MP Teresa Kok, who was previously placed fourth, Hui Ying, youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh, deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching, Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin, and Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi.
Others include Lanang MP Alice Lau, who is also a Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker, Sandakan MP Vivian Wong, Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid, and Damansara Utama assemblyman Jamaliah Jamaluddin. - FMT

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