Age not main factor, let healthy elderly stand in state polls: Chong Eng

GEORGE TOWN – Age should not be the main criteria when selecting candidates for the coming state elections, said DAP Wanita head Chong Eng.

The caretaker Penang executive councillor said that with modern medicine, people are now living longer and those in their 60s and 70s can still be vibrant and able to contribute to society.

With the country heading towards becoming an ageing society, Chong Eng, 66, said people should also be getting used to having older politicians.

“We must not just reference age as part of the selection process. There needs to be other factors thrown in, so the selection process is holistic, vetted, and transparent for all aspiring candidates,” she said at the launch of a state-run childcare centre in Komtar yesterday.

“Age is just a number and leaders can continue to serve if they can afford to. Also, if the people want them. But this is provided they must be healthy and mentally alert,” she added.

Her comments follow party chief Anthony Loke’s remarks recently that DAP should brace itself for fresh faces in the candidate line up, as the party needed renewal to stay relevant.

Nominations for the six states holding elections are on July 29, and polling is on August 12. The states holding elections are Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Negri Sembilan, and Selangor.

Chong Eng said elderly candidates should not be excluded, although they must undergo health checkups and declare any ailments which may undermine their ability to perform as an effective elected representative.

Her remarks about older election candidates also follow a gathering yesterday of leaders from community associations and non-governmental organisations based in Prai, who urged DAP to retain caretaker deputy chief minister II P. Ramasamy, 74, as the party’s candidate for Prai in the state election.

One grassroots leader, Tan Boon Siew, said they were gathering to pressure DAP after hearing speculation that many veterans may be dropped to make way for new candidates.

This week, the DAP candidate selection committee is said to be going through the list of candidates submitted by state party chiefs ahead of nomination day the following Saturday. – The Vibes, July 19, 2023