KAJANG – DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook does not expect a dip in public confidence after the departure of two party leaders from frontline politics.
The Seremban MP said while party stalwart Lim Kit Siang has announced his retirement from electoral politics and Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming is taking a “political sabbatical”, this does not mean they are abandoning the party’s struggle.
Instead, he said, the two will continue to play significant roles in the party, albeit more behind the scenes.
“Lim and Ong are not leaving DAP. We have to change the public perception that politics is just about the frontlines, or being an MP, or assemblyman.
“Politics is also about the struggle to make the country better. Party leaders and members can play different roles,” he told a press conference here today, which was also attended by Ong.
Loke said DAP would continue to draw on the duo’s expertise in facing the coming general election and advising the party on policy matters.
“(Those in) other parties are fighting to become candidates, where else do we have incumbents like Ong, who decided to not contest?”
Lim, who is the Iskandar Puteri MP and a veteran lawmaker, had announced in March that he would retire from electoral politics at the end of the current term, after a career spanning over half a century.
Ong meanwhile said on Monday that he would take a break from frontline politics and will not be contesting in the coming election, two months after he failed to be elected to the DAP central executive committee.
Both said their decisions are to make way for younger party members to serve in prominent roles. – The Vibes, May 11, 2022
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