Rise of DAP’s young Turks

The Lim family is still on top but the DAP election saw the young Turks pushing the old guards down the rungs and even out of the 20-seat central executive committee (CEC).

Anwar had also skipped the PAS muktamar last month and the whispers of tensions over the issue of seat allocations between the three parties are getting louder. PKR vice-president Datuk Mansor Othman urged reporters not to read too much into it even though this is Anwar’s homestate and his party will need the DAP’s clout to win their seats in the general election.

Joceline Tan, The Star

THE emcee had said the CEC election result would be announced at about 6.30pm. An hour later, everyone was still waiting.

The soft music that had been playing in the background was switched up and Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi’s melodic voice came on.

Ooi was staging a one-man concert from the Ubah truck parked outside the sports complex where the DAP congress was taking place.

The man is wasting his time in politics. He should have become a pop singer he would have made more money and become even more famous than he already is.

Everyone burst out laughing when Ooi stopped singing to ask whether the election results were in.

The top DAP leaders had already come in from the tea break and were hanging about near the front of the stage, chatting and waiting.

At about 8pm, Karpal Singh and his two sons arrived and soon after, the results came.

It was a wonder that Karpal managed to look so calm. He must have had some inkling of the outcome.

The outspoken lawyer had made a fantastic comeback to the No 3 spot from his previous 9th spot.

It was a clear signal that delegates want him to continue speaking out on issues like hudud and the encroachment of PAS policies on non-Muslim lifestyles.

Lim Kit Siang, despite his lack of a party post, remains the most well regarded person in the party followed by Guan Eng.

The father-and-son pair will have to factor in what Karpal says, including his view on the one-man, one-seat policy in the general election.

The outcome was described by some as a transition team.

The young Turks are on the rise, with Chong Chieng Jen and Anthony Loke surging into the top five.

The old guards like Tan Kok Wai, Fong Kui Lun and Ngeh Koo Ham slipped down the rungs as younger faces like Vincent Wu, Gobind Singh Deo and Tony Pua moved up.

The three-way fight in Selangor saw Datuk Teng Chang Khim emerging victorious, moving from No 14 to the prestigious top 10.

Rival Teresa Kok slipped from No 6 to No 18 while another rival Ronnie Liu lost.

The power structure in Selangor has changed dramatically.

“They are the new generation, you can ask for their vote but you cannot tell them how to vote,” said a Perak leader pointing to the delegates.

The delegates put Kit Siang right on top to show their appreciation while endorsing Guan Eng’s quest to defend Penang.

Another independent voice Dr Boo Cheng Hau moved up two slots from No 19 to No 17.

The inclusion of Teng and Dr Boo in the CEC means that the party wants people who dare to question the leadership.

The DAP transition is in place and the next echelon of leaders are up there.

The leaders know the veterans have felt left out of the party’s post-2008 success and these old-timers were brought on stage to receive mementos in the shape of the Penang ferry.

The party is telling them they are still appreciated.

It was a good move because these old soldiers will have to work the ground like never before in the general election.

Size matters in politics and the opening event was jam-packed with delegates and observers, all of them in an upbeat mood.

But the massive show of numbers could not hide the glaring absence of the man whom DAP is promoting as their next prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Neither Anwar nor his wife and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was present.

Pakatan Rakyat’s other prime minister candidate Datuk Seri Hadi Awang was also missing. PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar and secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali came instead.

PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu popped in after lunch and received a big hug from Guan Eng. PKR was represented by Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin.

Anwar had also skipped the PAS muktamar last month and the whispers of tensions over the issue of seat allocations between the three parties are getting louder.

PKR vice-president Datuk Mansor Othman urged reporters not to read too much into it even though this is Anwar’s homestate and his party will need the DAP’s clout to win their seats in the general election.

The other glaring aspect was DAP’s attempt to ignore the elephant in the room; the party is clearly afraid to take a strong stand on the recent incidents of moral policing on non-Muslims in Kelantan.

The furthest that Guan Eng went was to ask PAS to withdraw the summonses that had been issued against the hair salons.

Guan Eng’s speech ran on for almost 120 minutes mainly because he spoke in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese.

Earlier this month, he had poked fun at the tears and emotion that flowed during the Umno general assembly.

But now it was he who was all choked up as he vowed to stand up against Umno and to fight for equality of the races.

His cheeks were wet and he could be seen wiping his nose.

Some of the delegates looked on a little shocked but fortunately the mood lightened up after the speech when the party’s highly entertaining video titled “Ubah Rocket Style”, which showed DAP leaders doing the Gangnam Style, was unveiled.