Rep: Karpal-Ramasamy dispute due to DCM ll breaking party protocol
(The Star) – Nobody is eyeing the Deputy Chief Minister II post in Penang which is currently held by DAP deputy secretary-general Dr P. Ramasamy, said Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo.
Responding to such claims made through tweets and chats on the social media network platform, Jagdeep said the dispute between his father, DAP chairman Karpal Singh, and Dr Ramasamy was confined to an issue that involved the latter breaking party protocol by declaring DAP candidates for the next general election through a newspaper report.
“Usually, our members would not adopt such practices. We toe the line and observe party guidelines on the selection of candidates,” Jagdeep said.
He said despite the open spat, the matter would likely be resolved via internal channels.
Some politicians tweeted on Sunday that the underlying issue behind the spat between the two leaders was that Karpal was eyeing the deputy chief minister’s post for his son (Jagdeep).
On Sunday, at the Penang DAP convention, both Karpal and Ramasamy shifted their rift out into the open with the latter refusing to apologise for allegedly uttering a “godfather” remark via a Tamil newspaper.
Earlier, when opening the convention, Karpal thundered a remark across that he would not tolerate warlords in the party and urged the delegates to respect the party veterans who had slogged and built DAP.
The management of the state Hindu Endowment Board is said to be among the issues in the spat.
Veteran community leader Datuk R. Rajasingham said the problem was since politicians held the top religious posts in the Hindu body, they tended to use the posts “to benefit themselves politically”.
Dr Ramasamy defended his role as the board chairman, saying he managed to get RM1mil in grants this year compared with the RM100,000 received during the Barisan Nasional era in Penang.
He also said that the board chairman’s post was mostly administrative and not one of a religious nature.
DAP Youth head Anthony Loke said the party’s central executive committee would be meeting today to discuss the spat.
It is learnt that the party would also discuss whether disciplinary action would be initiated against Dr Ramasamy after Kuala Juru DAP branch chairman Tan Ah Huat lodged a formal complaint.
