ON the surface, it looked like the usual pre-Chinese New Year courtesy visits that politicians make to the vernacular Chinese media.
But with a momentous DAP election looming on the horizon, almost everything, be it words, body language or even a wink, is political.
The Chinese press can sense who among the DAP leaders are on the rise, based on the personalities who have been prominently featured on the front pages of their newspapers in the past week.
Pictures of DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, Perak chairman Nga Kor Ming and Penang chairman Steven Sim were on page after page of the leading Chinese media, Sin Chew Daily.
The trio comes across as the “power triangle” that could take DAP into the future.
Loke 47, Nga 52 and Sim 42, represent the generational change taking place in the party.
They spiced up their respective courtesy calls to the Chinese press by talking about their work and policies as ministers as well as issues affecting the community.
Loke, who is approaching his second term as party secretary-general, has emerged as a consensus builder. It has been a delicate juggling act for him to lead DAP in the post-Kit Siang era because there are factions to pacify and egos to dance around but the Transport Minister has not triggered any landmines.
The last DAP national polls in 2022 were marked by the rather dramatic exit of Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang. The new central executive committee (CEC) that will be elected at the March 16 national convention will shape the next era of leadership.
The Lim family, even without Kit Siang up there, is still a potent factor. Lim Guan Eng, 64, and his sister Lim Hui Ying, 62, have held dinner gatherings in Penang, Selangor and Johor, with their ageing father in tow.
Politics is the art of taking chances and Guan Eng appears to be projecting himself as the party’s voice of conscience with his vocal views of government policies and reform.
However, many in the party are still unsure what to make of his sister. Hui Ying’s swift political ascent has not been matched with good reviews of her ability.
In an interview with a Penang Chinese newspaper, Hui Ying spoke about how her family name has come to define her politics. It was a contrast to the interviews of the other DAP leaders who spoke about policies and ideas and it underscored the perception that she is up there because of the Lim name.
“I’m not sure that even the father can save the son this time around,” said a Selangor DAP figure. The siblings are struggling especially in Penang where public opinion has turned against Guan Eng largely because of his attacks on Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Guan Eng’s allies in Bagan where he is the MP, have also openly criticised the local strongman Datuk Seri Phee Boon Poh whose daughter is the assemblyman for Sungai Puyu, one of three state seats in Bagan.
Apparently, the Lims blame Phee, who has a reputation as a kingmaker, for Hui Ying’s near defeat in the Penang DAP election last September.
Party members say they fought long and hard to get where they are today and they don’t want their success to be entangled in infighting.
Meanwhile, Chow is finally defending himself against his predecessor. He admitted he might have offended a “small group in Penang,” a remark seen as directed at a certain Penang tycoon close to Guan Eng.
He stressed that whoever is chief minister must have the latitude to decide what is best for Penang and that was, of course, directed at his nemesis.
Chow also gave the thumbs-up to his would-be successor Sim, who is the Human Resources Minister.
He praised Sim’s fluency in Bahasa Malaysia and his administrative capability, saying, “I am starting to like Steven more and more”.
It is ironic that Chow has given his blessings to Sim whereas Guan Eng has fallen out with Sim who was also blamed for Hui Ying’s poor placing in the Penang DAP polls.
But it was the hint that Chow might contest the CEC election next month that caused a stir in the party. It immediately sparked off talk that he should be the next DAP chairman.
Chow, 66, is apparently being pressured to go for a CEC post so that he can continue to play a role in the party.
“The conflict in Penang has boiled over and there are undercurrents in the other states,” said Sin Chew Daily columnist Jeff Ooi.
Ooi, known for his insights on the Chinese political world, senses some sort of game plan taking place. He sees the party trying to contain Guan Eng so that he does not make life miserable for the next Penang Chief Minister.
As for Chow replacing Guan Eng as the next party chairman, Ooi said it would depend on their placing in the 30-person CEC election.
The fact that the party is now in power and at its most successful adds to the rivalry because there is so much to gain from winning.
There will be a play for support from Selangor, Perak and Penang which have a total of more than 900 branches and whose delegates will decide the outcome of the election.
Perak is a solid block under Nga who is Housing and Local Government Minister. It looks like Nga, the self-titled “lion,” could be the kingmaker this time around.
According to Ooi, Selangor DAP is fragmented with too many warlords and no single powerful figure calling the shots. However, it might also be described as a “perfect democracy” in the sense that power is distributed among several leaders.
Penang is a “tale of two kingdoms” with the former chief minister trying to assert his will over the sitting chief minister while those on the ground scramble to take sides.
“There is probably a lot of horse-trading going on and more drama ahead,” said Ooi.
The stage is set for what will be the most interesting DAP election in years.
The Coverage Malaysia
