by: K Pragalath - PETALING JAYA: The DAP’s call for one seat, one candidate is not feasible, according to a senior leader in the party.
The one seat, one candidate call by national DAP chairman Karpal Singh may not see the light of the day because the suggestion may cause a lot of dissatisfaction among current assemblymen and parliamentarians.
Karpal’s deputy, Dr Tan Seng Giaw, said: “On the one hand, we have no choice. There are not enough seats to accommodate everyone.
“On the other, there would be a lot of discontent and dissatisfaction among office-bearers and members. It cannot be done,” said the dermatologist who has been Kepong MP for the past 30 years.
Tan was commenting on Karpal’s call for only one candidate to take up one position.
Karpal made the call last month to allow office-bearers to have more time to concentrate on their jobs.
He, however, said exceptions would be made in the case of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as well as Sabah and Sarawak candidates since the party does not have credible candidates in the two states.
If this suggestion is implemented, six DAP leaders would be affected.
They are Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy (Prai assemblyman and Batu Kawan MP), Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow (Padang Kota assemblyman and Tanjung MP), in Penang.
Perak DAP chairman Ngeh Koo Ham (Sitiawan assemblyman and Beruas MP), Nga Kor Ming (Pantai Remis assemblyman and Taiping MP), DAP national organising secretary, Teresa Kok Suh Sim (Kinrara assemblywoman and Seputeh MP) and national DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke Siew Fook (Lobak assemblyman and Rasah MP)who is also Negeri Sembilan Opposition Leader would also be affected.
Indian issue
Tan also dismissed the notion that the “godfather-warlord feud” would create problems for the party in the upcoming general election.
“The party would not be affected. It is essentially an Indian issue,” said Tan when asked to comment.
Karpal had called DAP’s national deputy secretary Ramasamy a warlord after the latter had made candidate related announcement in November.
In response, Ramasamy termed Karpal a “godfather”.
Both have since ended their feud during the party convention earlier this month.
When asked about the party’s internal problems in Penang, Perak and Johor, Tan was evasive.
“Umno has more problems than us,” he said.
Tan also spoke about the impact of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s trial in the upcoming general election.
“The Barisan Nasional got it wrong by prosecuting Anwar twice. The Chinese community doesn’t like that because the government was trying to contain Anwar,” said Tan
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