‘Perak DAP has lost direction’

IPOH: Perak DAP has lost its direction, says former state DAP leader A. Sivasubramaniam, who has added his voice to the chorus of growing criticism against the party leadership.

The Buntong assemblyman said more assemblymen would be sacked from the party even though they did their job serving the people.

“Those who did not support the ‘abang-adik’ (brothers) will be sacked.

“Why else would the party terminate Leong Cheok Keng’s membership?

“I was not surprised when they did that to Leong, though he has served as a two-term assemblyman, ” he told reporters after handing over donations from Yayasan Perak to 38 students at the Buntong service centre here yesterday.

On Monday, Leong, who is Malim Nawar assemblyman, had his DAP membership terminated by the party after several reports claimed that Leong applied to join MCA.

It is believed that the term ‘abang-adik’ is referring to cousins, Nga Kor Ming and Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham. Nga is Perak DAP chairman.

Sivasubramaniam, who since June last year joined Gerakan said that Nga has broken the mandate given by the people while serving in the government for 22 months.

“Besides calling those who left traitors, what else did Nga do? He promised much to the people but it’s all lip-service.

“He has done nothing else.

“They will only keep those who support them, not the ones who can do the work, ” he said.

On March 9 last year, Sivasubramaniam, Paul Yong Choo Kiong (DAP-Tronoh) and Hasnul Zulkarnain Abdul Munaim (Amanah-Titi Serong) declared themselves as independents.

Yong remains an independent while Hasnul is now serving with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

In December, DAP veteran leader and Selangor state executive councillor Datuk Teng Chang Khim said many of the party’s plans emphasised reforms but were impractical and not result-oriented.

He also said he was tired of playing the role of an “opposition” member in the party, and that “when no one opposes a proposal in the party, and you’re the only one who does every time, it becomes tiring.”

In an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily, the Bandar Baru Klang assemblyman, who has served on the party’s central executive committee for 24 years, said true reform within the party was only possible if they were able to deal with Lim Kit Siang and his son Guan Eng, who are the party adviser and secretary-general respectively.