‘Let me be DAP’s first Malay chief’
Veteran party man Zulkifli Mohd Noor says he was ready to become the DAP chairman to replace Karpal Singh.
Athi Shankar, FMT
A division leader today offered himself to be the next DAP chairman to replace current chief Karpal Singh.
But Bayan Baru parliamentary liaison committee chairman Zulkifli Mohd Noor said he was prepared to take over the reins only if Karpal was willing to step aside to make way for others.
“I’m offering to be the first ethnic Malay DAP national chairman. I’m not asking Karpal to retire.
“But, if Karpal thinks his time was up to call it a day, I’m prepared to take over his position.
“Why not a Malay becomes the DAP boss? The party never had a Malay chairman.
“Only then it will truly reflect DAP’s multi-racial politics,” Zulkifli told a press conference here today.
The former party national vice-chairman and deputy secretary general is a candidate for the coming party re-election for central executive committee (CEC) in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday Sept 29.
Under the DAP system, office bearers are appointed from those who had been elected into the CEC. In order to become the chairman, Zulkifli would first have to win a slot in the CEC.
Zulkifli said he was offering himself for the top job because he relished the challenge to bring back the party to its original roots based on socialist-democratic ideals.
He said the party once was a pro-poor socialist-democratic outfit, in which its biggest support base comprised hawkers, retailers, blue collar workers and farmers.
But he said since gaining state powers in Penang after 2008 general election, the DAP had rapidly transformed into a pro-rich capitalist family cartel.
He said sacrifices and contributions of veterans and senior members have all been sidelined and ignored.
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He alleged that the party now had infested with infiltrators and traitors who betrayed their former parties to join the DAP to safeguard their own personal selfish interests.
“Now the DAP leaders rub shoulders with the rich and powerful elites, and these infiltrators and traitors only.
“DAP, which previously championed pro-poor policies, is now embarking on mega projects,” he said.
