Karpal towers above all ‘greedy and glory-seeking’ DAP leaders
Ng Kee Seng, The Ant Daily
The late DAP veteran and legal giant Karpal Singh was a rare breed of a politician who was sincere in his political convictions and steadfast in his belief in giving without expecting personal glory in return.
Karpal, 73, who was killed in a road accident on the North-South Expressway in Perak on April 17, was clearly a man who loathed greed and glorification.
His stand on two issues towers all other DAP leaders in the party’s history:
* That no DAP leader should accept state awards while in public office; and
* That the DAP should practise the one-man-one-seat policy in the selection of candidates for general elections.
Most politicians can live by what they preach – freedom, fair play and justice but many cannot resist the rewards that come with personal glorification and greed.
Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Selangor executive councillor Datuk Teng Chang Khim were the first two DAP leaders to seek glory by going for state awards after the 12th General Election (GE12) now popularly referred to as the political tsunami.
They broke Karpal’s rule by making flimsy excuses that it would be impolite, even offensive, to reject the awards from the sultans. Perhaps, they have never heard of how the late former deputy prime minister Tun Ghafar Baba turned down many awards from the sultans and even the Yang di-Pertuan Agong when he was an active politician. Ghafar only agreed to receive the Tunship from the king upon retirement.
The late towering Gerakan leader and former Penang chief minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu is another example of a sincere leader who could lead and administer effectively without any man-made glorified medals.
On the one-man-one-seat policy. It is nothing more than greed in those who insist on going for more than one seat and position.
They are not only greedy for rewards and material gains, but are also power crazy to say the least.
Why should there be exceptions? Chong Eu’s legacy is testimony to this.
