GE13: Boo sees red over Guan Eng’s meddling in candidates list
(The Star) – Johor DAP chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau has blown his top over the alleged meddling of secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in the state’s candidates list.
In an e-mail to the party’s top brass, with copies sent to central executive committee (CEC) members and elected representatives from the party, he blasted Guan Eng for turning a casual discussion at a coffee shop into an official party decision.
Dr Boo, who resigned from the Johor DAP candidate selection committee on Sunday together with state deputy chairman Norman Fernandez and secretary Tan Chen Choon, was referring to the naming of state youth chief Tan Hong Pin as a candidate for the Mengkibol state seat.
Former assemblyman Ng Lam Hua was reported to have been dropped to make way for Hong Pin, who was earlier said to be slated for the Pekan Nenas state seat.
Dr Boo said there was a discussion on Hong Pin’s candidature during supper, with beers, at a coffee shop on April 2. But there was no decision.
“How could a casual discussion in a coffee shop with beers be taken as an official party decision? It is irresponsible of Guan Eng to convince (former DAP chairman) Dr Chen Man Hin and other selection committee members that I had agreed to the arrangement,” he said.
Dr Chen, in reply, suggested Guan Eng review the selection of candidates in Johor to find an amicable solution.
“It is most regretful that there was no discussion when the DAP decides seats, differently from that recommended by the state selection committee,” he said.
Responding to the angry mail, national DAP chairman Karpal Singh said the selection of candidates lay solely with the party’s top leadership.
“The state committees will recommend their list to the four-man national selection committee. Most of the time it’s okay except for here and there.”
“Then the four-man committee decides and it’s final. That, they should know,” added Karpal, who is in the committee with DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Guan Eng and party deputy chairman Tan Kok Wai.
Karpal took Fernandez to task for voicing his displeasure to the press over the purported surrender of the Segamat parliamentary seat to Johor PKR chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng.
“This is wrong and (Norman) should not have done that. Someone must have the last say, and that is the party leaders,” he said.
Kok Wai, who is also the party’s disciplinary committee chairman, said it was stated in the party constitution that the selection of candidates was the sole prerogative of the CEC.
Meanwhile, state DAP vice-chairman Ong Kow Meng has asked Dr Boo to step down after the polls because he is no longer suitable to lead the party in Johor.
“If he refuses to step down gracefully, I will make sure he will lose in the state party election in October,” Ong said in Kulaijaya, Johor, yesterday.
