IPOH – Perak DAP went into a defensive shell when it barred the media from following the proceedings of its 19th state convention further after a ruckus had briefly disrupted the event.
Journalists covering the event today were politely asked to vacate the hall after the lunch break, on the pretext that the meeting was to be conducted behind closed doors.
Perak media members were unhappy, with some claiming that this was the first time in recent memory that they were disallowed from following the party’s state convention.
Earlier, Kampar MP Thomas Su Keong Siong had taken offence that the delegates’ registration was allegedly not done in an orderly manner.
Among his gripes was that some delegates had been registered despite arriving late to the venue at the International Convention Centre here.
State DAP chairman David Nga Kor Ming later clarified the matter, saying that the election officers were appointed by the national DAP headquarters and not by the state chapter.
“All processes should be professional, transparent, independent and fair. I am extremely sorry that a small group of people deliberately disturbed (the process) because of the fear of losing,” Nga said.
“I hope the central disciplinary committee will take action against the troubled black sheep to maintain party discipline,” he said, adding that the election should continue with no more incident.
Later, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng summoned Su and his running mate DAP vice-president M. Kula Segaran into a room to discuss the issue.
Both emerged without offering comment, but Kula later said that this was a “contest among family” and it should not be blown out of proportion.
There are 30 candidates contesting for 15 slots in the state DAP committee.
On the sidelines, some state DAP leaders who preferred not to be named said that there are lingering grouses over the way Perak DAP has operated in the past few years.
“We are surprised that only some leaders could register new branches, and some had their attempts impeded. If that is the case, we are no better than the backdoor government,” said an elected representative.
State opposition leader Abdul Aziz Bari, who is the DAP Tebing Tinggi assemblyman, responded to questions on the fracas by saying that it had disrupted the image of the party.
“Previously, the elections were conducted in an orderly manner. Members must be reminded that this year is the 55th anniversary of DAP,” he said. – The Vibes, March 14, 2021.
