Keadilan luring our members: Penang DAP
Susan LoonePublished: Feb 26, 2001 1:56 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Keadilan has been campaigning at grassroots level to lure DAP members to join the party, a DAP leader said in Penang today.
DAP member of parliament for Tanjung, Chow Kon Yeow told malaysiakini that party leaders were aware that such underhanded campaigns took place after the recent Lunas by-election.
"Keadilan has been trying to lure DAP members in the Seberang Perai area to abandon the party and join Keadilan," said Chow, in a telephone interview this afternoon.
"So far, 32 DAP members in Nibong Tebal are said to have submitted applications to join Keadilan," he added.
Chow said that the 32 are members of a DAP branch which was suspended because they were involved in the Knock Out Kit Siang (Koks) campaign in 1992.
The on-and-off row between the two opposition coalition partners resurfaced in the wake of former Penang DAP leader Teoh Teik Huat's application last weekend to join Keadilan.
Teoh and three others had requested to join Keadilan, and party chief Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the applications would be given due consideration.
Similar tactics
Chow said that by accepting applications from people who were still DAP members, Keadilan has once again failed to honour the mutual understanding among BA component parties against the pinching of members.
"We are extremely unhappy with Keadilan's orchestrated media build-up to their 'party-hopping celebration dinner' in Bukit Mertajam last Saturday," said Chow.
"Keadilan has manipulated the media once again using similar tactics as they had used in Lunas to whip up public opinion against DAP," he added.
The two parties had a similar fall-out before the Lunas by-election when Keadilan insisted on their candidate Saifuddin Nasution Ismail standing as the opposition candidate. He went on to defeat MIC's S Anthonysamy by 530 votes.
DAP was adamant that their candidate S Neelamekan should contest in Lunas because they claimed the seat was traditionally held by an Indian.
However, both parties came to an understanding before polling day and DAP joined in Keadilan's election campaign, which led to a BA victory.
'Loosen' relationship
Chow said that despite the party's support, Keadilan has chosen to treat DAP like a foe rather than a comrade in the same struggle.
He added that this was not an honourable way to treat a fraternal party who had gone 'all the way' to help prop up Keadilan in its early days of struggle.
As a result, said Chow, the Penang DAP will 'loosen' their relationship with Keadilan until the matter is sorted out by the BA national leadership.
When asked what he meant by 'loosen', Chow said that DAP would attend all BA functions, but if there was one organised solely by Keadilan, the party would have to consider its attendance.
And if the boot is in the other foot, that is "if we organise something, we will think twice before inviting Keadilan to it," he clarified.
"However, this may only be temporary. If the national leaders can solve this problem by tomorrow, our relationship will be back to normal," Chow said.
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DAP member of parliament for Tanjung, Chow Kon Yeow told malaysiakini that party leaders were aware that such underhanded campaigns took place after the recent Lunas by-election.
"Keadilan has been trying to lure DAP members in the Seberang Perai area to abandon the party and join Keadilan," said Chow, in a telephone interview this afternoon.
"So far, 32 DAP members in Nibong Tebal are said to have submitted applications to join Keadilan," he added.
Chow said that the 32 are members of a DAP branch which was suspended because they were involved in the Knock Out Kit Siang (Koks) campaign in 1992.
The on-and-off row between the two opposition coalition partners resurfaced in the wake of former Penang DAP leader Teoh Teik Huat's application last weekend to join Keadilan.
Teoh and three others had requested to join Keadilan, and party chief Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the applications would be given due consideration.
Similar tactics
Chow said that by accepting applications from people who were still DAP members, Keadilan has once again failed to honour the mutual understanding among BA component parties against the pinching of members.
"We are extremely unhappy with Keadilan's orchestrated media build-up to their 'party-hopping celebration dinner' in Bukit Mertajam last Saturday," said Chow.
"Keadilan has manipulated the media once again using similar tactics as they had used in Lunas to whip up public opinion against DAP," he added.
The two parties had a similar fall-out before the Lunas by-election when Keadilan insisted on their candidate Saifuddin Nasution Ismail standing as the opposition candidate. He went on to defeat MIC's S Anthonysamy by 530 votes.
DAP was adamant that their candidate S Neelamekan should contest in Lunas because they claimed the seat was traditionally held by an Indian.
However, both parties came to an understanding before polling day and DAP joined in Keadilan's election campaign, which led to a BA victory.
'Loosen' relationship
Chow said that despite the party's support, Keadilan has chosen to treat DAP like a foe rather than a comrade in the same struggle.
He added that this was not an honourable way to treat a fraternal party who had gone 'all the way' to help prop up Keadilan in its early days of struggle.
As a result, said Chow, the Penang DAP will 'loosen' their relationship with Keadilan until the matter is sorted out by the BA national leadership.
When asked what he meant by 'loosen', Chow said that DAP would attend all BA functions, but if there was one organised solely by Keadilan, the party would have to consider its attendance.
And if the boot is in the other foot, that is "if we organise something, we will think twice before inviting Keadilan to it," he clarified.
"However, this may only be temporary. If the national leaders can solve this problem by tomorrow, our relationship will be back to normal," Chow said.
Related story:
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