Girl power to rock DAP committee?

Six women are among the record 58 candidates contesting for the 20 seats available in the DAP’s powerful central executive committee (CEC), but the real contest this weekend will be between four of the ladies.

Two of the six - Chong Eng, the MP for Bukit Mertajam, and Teresa Kok, the Selangor senior exco member - are virtually assured of seats because of their seniority and long service in the party.

Although technically, the other four ladies can also all be voted in, this is unlikely. Going by past practice, DAP delegates are expected to vote in only one more female member into the male-dominated CEC to represent young women.

Previously, this spot was filled by Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan for two terms. She has declined to defend her seat, thus throwing the race open to the four ‘female young turks’.

Leading this pack is Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching. She is a lawyer by training and has already established herself as a hard-working and well-spoken politician.

The feisty 27-year-old former university debate champion has been making waves since her March electoral debut where she thrashed her MCA opponent Hoh Hee Lee by a whopping 21,025 majority.

Despite being a political greenhorn, Teo drew much attention when she repeatedly challenged her much older opponent Hoh to a debate during her ceramah.

“The party needs young professionals and are looking for the new ‘cili padi’. In this sense, Teo fits the bill pretty well,” observed Monash university lecturer and political analyst Wong Chin Huat.

Guan Eng’s choice

Another favorite to win a seat in the CEC is Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan who represents the new crop of DAP’s cosmopolitan professionals.

Raised in the middle-class suburb of Subang Jaya, Yeoh is a trained lawyer-turned-businesswoman-turned-politician capable of drawing appeal from people of different races.

Yeoh was brought into the party by rising star Tony Pua and is even more of a rookie when compared to Teo. However, she is believed to be backed by party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

“She represents what Guan Eng wants to see as a more Malaysian and less Chinese side to the party,” said one party observer.

Not to be left is Teratai assemblyperson Janice Lee Ying Ha, 28, who is better rooted in the party compared to Teo and Yeoh.

After obtaining an economics and international relations degree, Lee ‘interned’ under Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, servicing as his political secretary.

Like her political mentor, Lee has been actively manning her service centre in Ampang long before the March general election and building up a grassroots base there.

Apart from her constituency work, Lee stands out as one of the most fashionably-attired among DAP elected reps.

Dark horse

The dark horse of the race will be Jalong assemblyperson Leong Mee Meng. Compared to the other three - Teo, Yeoh and Lee - Leong has the advantage of being a party veteran of sorts.

A beautician-turned-politician, Leong has good rapport with a wide network of party leaders. She has been with the party for several years and has the experience of contesting in three general elections.

Leong performed respectably well in the last triennial party polls by coming in 27th. This result may help her pip her rivals.

Observers will also be watching to see whether delegates elect more women into the committee, given the large crop of qualified candidates available this year.

However, it is an open secret the party’s top leadership often distributes cai tan (preferred candidate’s list) to delegates and this could limit the number of women leaders getting into the male-dominated CEC.

DAP’s triennial CEC polls will be taking place for the first time in a five-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur this weekend, with some 900 delegates casting ballots.