GEORGE TOWN, Dec 1 — DAP Penang chairman Chow Kon Yeow today cautioned party delegates not to let complacency and arrogance creep in over the party’s recent success in Election 2013.

Speaking at the opening of the party’s state convention at George Town City Hotel this morning, Chow pointed out that the second and stronger mandate from the Penang voters in the May 5 polls must not be taken for granted.

“However this comfortable political environment may lure us into complacency and arrogance which we must safeguard,” he said.

He noted that the political atmosphere is still very volatile and provides great opportunity for the party to work towards its long objective of winning Putrajaya and bringing real change to Malaysia.

“Umno is still a force to be reckoned with, although they have not been able to lead Barisan Nasional to make a political comeback in Penang,” he said.

The Padang Kota state assemblyman said internal problems between the three component parties of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) — DAP, PAS and PKR — risked being played out in the mass media, as it did in recent weeks.

Two weeks ago, PAS had openly complained of being sidelined by the DAP-led Penang state government, while demanding for more positions within the state administration.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had said PR leaders would sit down to discuss this issue internally.

He had also directed Deputy Chief Minister I Rashid Hasnon and state executive councillor Abdul Malik Abul Kassim to meet with sole PAS state assemblyman in the state, Salleh Man, to discuss this issue internally.

Today, Chow rallied the delegates to keep to the theme of “Staying ahead, embracing the future” as their guiding principle to remain united in their resolve to win the people’s support.

“While the battleground in the next general election is in East Malaysia, let us not forget that we must protect and win in our own backyard so the states under PR must perform well to let the rest of Malaysia see our abilities and achievements as a government,” he said.

He pointed to the importance of strengthening co-operation within PR in order to grow from strength to strength.

In the context of the party, Chow said the party needed to enlist more people as members and set up branches in all polling districts.

“We do not want to form branches only with the objective of getting more delegates for party election like MCA or Gerakan but with the objective to build a stronger organisation so the need for party unity and discipline among leaders and members must not be understated,” he said.

Later, Lim, who is also the party secretary-general, criticised BN in his speech, labelling them “corrupt and incompetent”.

Both he and party national chairman Karpal Singh brought up the recent remarks by former Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman that the previous three redelineatios of parliamentary constituencies were manipulated for the benefit of the Malays.

“That the redelineations had been deliberately manipulated against non-Malays is unconstitutional so clearly, the present constituencies are both flawed and defective,” Lim said.

He supported Karpal’s call for the next redelineation exercise to aspire towards the principle of “one person, one vote” and not to be manipulated like previous exercises.

Karpal had also called on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to look into Abdul Rashid’s admission and take appropriate action if it were found to be true.

Later, a total of 689 delegates will be casting their votes to pick their new line up of party state leaders.