GEORGE TOWN: Former Penang DAP chairman Teoh Teik Huat (pic) was a meticulous leader with an eye for detail, says his former party comrade Phee Boon Poh.
Citing an example, Phee, 72, said Teoh, who passed away on Sunday, would guide them on submitting proper and relevant questions during state assembly proceedings.
“Once everything was over, he would always conduct a postmortem to correct and fine-tune our presentations.
“We envied him, but his guidance was sought after by many in the party during the 1980s and 1990s.
“He was always there to help,” said the three-term state executive council member.
Teoh, 77, breathed his last on Sunday following a lengthy illness. He had been living with his children in Perth, Australia.
He was known as an excellent organiser with a tight fist on the party’s limited resources then.
He served as Bagan MP (1986 to 1990), and assemblyman for Pengkalan Kota (1982 to 1990) and Paya Terubong (1990 and 1995).
In 1998, Teoh and a few senior leaders had a fallout with the party leadership.
He quit the party in 2001 and joined PKR the same year, serving as the state deputy chairman.
K. Gurunathan, former editor of DAP publication Rocket, described Teoh as fearless and as someone who would take on the entire state government during the time of the late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu.
“He would go head to head with the ruling government on issues in the same vein as Karpal Singh – they made a good pair,” he said, referring to the former MP and DAP national chairman who passed away in 2014, also known as the “Tiger of Jelutong”.
“Teoh and two others – Gooi Hock Seng and the late Peter Paul Dason – were regarded as the ‘inner circle gang’ who had a lot of influence in the party.
“They had their political differences, but were always united in fighting for justice for the people,” he added.
Gurunathan, 71, who is living in New Zealand, said he had been planning to visit Teoh in Perth next month.
“Well, looks like it is not going to happen now,” said Gurunathan, the younger brother of veteran journalist K. Sugumaran and brother-in-law of former Wanita DAP chief Chong Eng.
Chong Eng, 67, who has since retired from politics, recalls the days when she was the sole DAP assemblyman in the state assembly in 1995 and Teoh was the state party chairman.
“He had this leadership style of engaging with members,” she said.
