THE selection of DAP candidates who will be contesting in the coming Penang state election was decided by the party’s selection committee at the national level, Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow said.
“The proposed list of candidates by the state DAP was submitted to the party’s selection committee at the national level for its consideration. The candidates, whose names were announced by DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, were the final decision made by the party.
“As explained previously, the decision was made by the party’s selection committee at the national level. I am not part of that committee,” Chow responded to a question by a journalist after attending an event at E&O Hotel Penang today. The journalist had asked if the allegation pertaining to an ‘emperor’ having full rights to decide on DAP’s candidates for the Penang polls was true.
When questioned about who was on the party’s selection committee at the national level, Chow said the committee comprised the party’s national chairman, national deputy chairman, national vice-chairmen Nga Kor Ming and M. Kulasegaran, and the DAP secretary-general.
“There are names that were proposed by the state DAP and were not selected by the party’s selection committee at the national level, and there were names that were not proposed by the state DAP being selected.
“That causes dissatisfaction,” he explained the situation regarding the selection of candidates.
Chow said the Penang DAP selection committee had exercised its duty to interview the potential candidates proposed by the party branches.
“A decision was then made at the state level before we prepared the proposed list of candidates. The list was then submitted to the party’s selection committee at the national level for its consideration,” he added.
When asked if state DAP deputy chairman Prof Dr P. Ramasamy would be facing any action by the party for his recent statement, Chow said he read from the news that Dr Ramasamy ‘is still a DAP member’.
“The issue of being dismissed or not did not arise. (There) may be a disciplinary process, if any.
“However, should a DAP member contest as an independent candidate or for another political party, the member will lose his or her membership automatically,” Chow said.
Chow said Dr Ramasamy and former DAP assemblyman M. Satees contacted him recently.
“They do not have any issues with me. Even the person who resigns from the party and plans to contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming state polls said he supports me,” he added.
Speaking about the selected names and himself, Chow said: “If we are given the mandate, and if I am the Chief Minister once more, I need to form a new executive council lineup.”
“Many (incumbents) are no longer contesting; hence, the continuity is broken.
“Throughout the one-term period, the team has been working hard to implement projects and programmes according to their specific portfolios to realise the Penang2030 vision.
“We need a new lineup to continue the work to realise the Penang2030 vision,” Chow said.