KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong has denied “purging” political rivals from the party’s line-up of candidates for the state election, which is due to take place next month.
News portal Malaysiakini reported Liew as saying he never intended to drop anyone aligned with his so-called state rival Tan Hong Pin following “resolutions” from the party’s central leadership.
Liew had stayed silent over the matter, even as other state DAP members publicly asked him to explain why certain candidates said to be aligned with Tan were apparently cut.
It was also alleged that Liew did not turn up for a meeting called by the party’s Johor grassroots where he had been expected to offer his explanation for what had transpired.
Liew told Malaysiakini today that he was not avoiding the grassroots but wanted to avoid putting himself in what he perceived to be “a hostile situation”.
“If you set up a hostile situation... the response is to be restrained and not to engage in a hostile situation.
“As much as there is their anger, we try not to engage in a rather quarrelsome manner.
“We do not want to engage in a divisive manner because we do not want to create a situation where every side of the grassroots argues with each other in an open space,” he was quoted as saying.
Apart from Tan, who is the DAP assemblyman for Skudai, the group is said to comprise Ng Yak Howe (Bentayan), Ee Chin Li (Tangkak), Cheo Yee How (Perling) and Yeo Tung Siong (Pekan Nanas).
Previously, DAP revealed that Ee, together with Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali (Paloh), Chew Chong Sin (Mengkibol) and Gan Peck Cheng (Penggaram) would be defending their respective seats next month.
The party’s central leadership said all others would be defending their seats too, but Tan and Cheo will be dropped, although Tan would be nominated as the parliamentary candidate for Labis in the next general election.
Liew said this had been the plan from the start and there was never any intention to drop all five.
He added there was also a proposal to move Ng from Bentayan to the riskier Jementah but the plan was eventually scrapped.
“Essentially, those were the only changes that were proposed with regard to the group led by Tan.
“From day one, we are nominating (incumbents) Yeo Tung Seong for Pekan Nanas and Ee Chin Lih for Tangkak,” he said.
The Election Commission has set March 12 as polling day, with nomination day on February 26, and early voting on March 8.
