DAP Johor foray in disarray

Dissatisfaction over candidates selection threatens to derail plans 

(Malay Mail) – DAP’s ambitious southern venture in Johor is in jeopardy as uneasiness and dissatisfaction over candidates selection threaten to derail their plans.

As the DAP gears up for its “assault” in Johor, the party has run into its problem when the state’s threeman committee that was tasked to come up with the candidate list resigned after a heated state committee meeting on Sunday night.

The trio are state chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau, his deputy Norman Fernandez and secretary Tan Chen Choon.

They resigned immediately after it was clear that some of their proposed candidates were not on the final list.

However, party insiders say their resignation was over party secretary general Lim Guan Eng’s interference in the list.

Although Guan Eng has the right to change the names as he is in the national committee for candidate selection, insiders say the change in Johor was being done to weaken Dr Boo’s base.

It is well-known that Guan Eng and Dr Boo have always been on opposing sides in the party and the culmination of it was the candidacy of Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah.

That already sent a message that the DAP top leaders have lost faith in Dr Boo to lead the state election machinery by sidelining him and that widened the cracks in Johor DAP.

The national selection committee comprises Guan Eng, Kit Siang, party chairman Karpal Singh and Kepong MP Dr Tan Seng Giaw.

Following this “embarrassment” for Dr Boo, Guan Eng announced last week that the state organising secretary Tan Hong Pin was the Mengkibol state seat candidate.

This infuriated many as Hong Pin, who is also Dr Boo’s secretary, had been working hard in the Pekan Nenas state constituency for many years, and was expecting to contest the seat.

It is also learned that the DAP was dropping three of the four incumbents in the state seats it holds in Johor.

The three incumbents on their way out are Ng Lam Hua (Mengkibol), Ong Kow Meng (Senai) and Gwee Tong Hiang (Bentayan). DAP’s Er Teck Hwa holds Bakri parliamentary seat and he is expected to be retained.

During the Sunday night meeting, the main issue debated among the 15 members were on the criteria used by the three-man committee to pick candidates.

It is learned that the trio were criticised heavily, leading to impressions that the state committee did not trust them.

Apart from that, the secretary-general had also overruled them in certain seats without consultation.

Insiders said the selection committee felt their powers had been usurped by the secretary-general and the committee’s existence was no longer relevant.

“They don’t have any work to do anymore. They had drawn the guidelines but it was all ignored.” When contacted, Fernandez confirmed they had resigned but labeled it as merely a storm in a teacup.

“Its nothing serious. No matter what is being said, we will all work together in the elections,” he added. He also noted that the party had given a gag-order on speaking to the media.

Another party member said the Johor developments were due to the father and son leadership that was intent on weakening the voice of the vocal party members.

“There are many problems in the party but nothing much is being done to resolve them. If left unchecked, some party members are worried it may cost us the elections.”

The senior politician also said that some leaders were sacrificing their principles just to win the elections.

“This should not be the case as we want the best possible candidates to be the people’s representatives.”