KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng today said that the party’s leaders and members should refrain from making any public comment related to the posts and candidates for the impending Penang state election.

He said this was in response to a Malaysiakini report published yesterday titled "Internal DAP push to oust Chow, re-install Guan Eng as Penang CM”.

The news portal has since apologised and retracted the report.

"In light of Malaysiakini’s false report, DAP leaders and members, especially elected representatives, should refrain from making any public comment relating to posts and candidature in the coming state election.

"For those who refuse to listen and ignore them, the party will act accordingly at an appropriate time,” Lim said in a statement today.

The Bagan MP also said that public statements on posts and election candidates should only come from leading party figures, such as Anthony Loke.

"Therefore, leave all public statements to the top national leadership, especially to DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook,” he said.

Lim said this will prevent the party’s political opponents from manipulating any remarks in the run-up to the state election.

Yesterday, the now-retracted Malaysiakini report had cited three unnamed state assemblymen purportedly from Penang as claiming plans were afoot to replace Chow Kon Yeow, who is the Padang Kota assemblyman, with Lim as the Penang chief minister once the state election is over.

Lim, who is the Air Putih assemblyman, helmed the state from 2008 to 2018.