Tensions in Malacca DAP boil over

DESPITE having been slapped with a suspension order, DAP Kota Melaka MP Sim Tong Him and former state chairman Goh Leong San remained steadfast.

Their unwavering stand and loyalty garnered them praise from grassroots members.

It is an open secret that there are two opposing camps in the state DAP, one led by Sim and the other by Khoo Poay Tiong, who is aligned to secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

That was a year ago.

Today, their simmering feud has come out in the open.

A bombshell was dropped Sunday when Sim, Goh and two other serving assemblymen – Lim Jak Wong and Chin Choon Seong – all quit the party.

Talk has been rife since February 2016 – the date of the suspension – that Sim and Goh, the Duyong assemblyman, were mulling an exit.

Sim openly hit out at the party’s disciplinary board, saying the order to suspend them was “unprofessional and impartial.”

Goh, Lim and Chin were seen on numerous occasions having friendly chats with Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron and other Barisan Nasional lawmakers.

In one instance, Goh who was known as a “firebrand” in the state legislative assembly, started praising Idris for his “farsightedness” during one of the sittings.

And throughout last year’s session, Goh, Lim and Chin mellowed and were only seen to mingle with Barisan assemblymen.

They even appeared to have snubbed incumbent Malacca DAP chief Tey Kow Kiew, Kota Laksamana assemblyman Lai Kuen Ban, and Khoo, who is the state DAP secretary.

During a recent interview, Goh insinuated that he had been freed from “emotional leaders” and “absurd lawsuits” since his suspension.

He also hinted that Lim and Chin might join him if no one from “the top” was willing to listen.

It was not long before Malaccans realised the three assemblymen were no longer interested in taking part in fiery ceramah or in criticising Barisan.

To make things worse, Goh openly acknowledged that he could no longer see “eye to eye” with the party leadership.

Later, Sim joined in the fray, airing his grievances, claiming interference from the headquarters after Tey took charge.

He criticised the central leadership as wearing too many hats and having lost its direction.

Political pundits felt that the decision for the four disillusioned state leaders to quit was ultimately the “betrayal and egoism of the current leadership.”

They described the latest development as a “big blow” to the DAP.

In 2005, just when Guan Eng took over from Kerk Kim Hock, he and his wife Betty Chew were shockingly voted out of the Malacca DAP committee, helmed by Sim, who was the then state chief.

Guan Eng took the defeat very badly. And people close to him said he blamed Sim, Goh, Lim and also Kerk, who lost as Kota Melaka MP in 2004, for the humiliation.

The resignation of the four yesterday comes after 12 years of bitter relations between them and Guan Eng.

When Lai was nominated as a candidate in the 2013 general election, Sim filed his nomination papers for Kota Melaka as an independent and even wanted to resign in protest.

He backed off only after being persuaded by Lim Kit Siang.

Since the 2013 general election to the state party polls on Dec 14, 2015, the relationship between Guan Eng and the Malacca DAP leadership led by Goh, who took over from Sim, was best described as “dysfunctional”.

With the backing of his men, Guan Eng succeeded in ousting Goh as state chief and replacing him with Tey, the Bandar Hilir assemblyman, a former Sim supporter who crossed over to the rival camp in June 2014.

This further escalated the bitterness and anger.

Early last year, Guan Eng suspended Sim and Goh for disparaging the party’s image.

Both Sim and Goh then had declared themselves as indepen­dents.

Yesterday’s announcement by the four was expected as their faction has been rendered powerless and was not expected to be nominated for any seat in the next election.

But Sim’s faction still has grassroots support and these members could yet inflict some damage although Kota Melaka will still be a DAP stronghold despite its history of incessant in-fighting.

An analyst said the feud between Guan Eng and Sim has been going on for the past 10 years.

“Both leaders can’t stand the sight of each other but the differences have sharpened over issues of working with PAS in the last election.

“Many DAP leaders including Sim questioned if it was right to support PAS.

“Now, the impact of that decision is haunting the DAP.”