Karpal Singh remained a factor in DAP even after his death and his son Gobind Singh Deo looks poised to carry on from where his father left off after the party’s special congress to re-elect fresh central executive committee (CEC) members.
- Lim Kit Siang won the most votes
- Tan Kok Wai made chairman, Gobind deputy chair
- Even in death, Karpal Singh received 43 votes
- 10 more members co-opted into line-up, including Selangor Speaker Hannah Yeoh
- Boo Cheng Hau, P Ramasamy, Tan Seng Giaw out
Gobind, the Puchong MP, was second with 1,198 votes, just one vote behind stalwart Lim Kit Siang, who with 1,199 had the most votes – up from his second placing previously.
The popularity of Gobind, who was previously fourth, is an indication that he would soon be filling his father’s shoes.
Killed in an accident in 2014, Karpal still received 43 votes.
His name, as well as those of five others who have since resigned from DAP, had to be on the list as they had all contested for the CEC in the 2012 and 2013 polls.
Tan Kok Wai was elected as the new national DAP chairman. He had previously held the acting chairman’s position following Karpal death.
Gobind Singh Deo moved up to deputy chairman after being DAP’s legal bureau chairman.
Teresa Kok, who was previously vice-chairman, was elected as deputy secretary-general.
Remaining as secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng went to third from fifth placing previously.
Other major positions were largely unchanged.
Compared to the 2013 party CEC elections, there were only two new additions – Batu Gajah MP V Sivakumar and former Selangor state executive councillor Ronnie Liu, replacing Johor state opposition leader Boo Cheng Hau and the late former DAP national chairman Karpal Singh.
Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari, whose inclusion came after the party’s tabulation error in the 2012 party elections that led to the long-running standoff with RoS, came in 19th in the vote, making it to the CEC by a comfortable margin.
Elected CEC members and votes
- DAP parliamentary leader – Lim Kit Siang (1,199)
- Deputy chairman – Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo (1,198)
- Secretary-general – Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (1,180)
- National organising secretary – Seremban MP Anthony Loke Siew Fook (1,175)
- Political education director – Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong (1,123)
- International secretary – Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching (1,080)
- Vice-chairman – Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen (1,057)
- Deputy secretary-general – Seputeh MP Teresa Kok (1,033)
- National chairman – Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai (1,021)
- National publicity secretary – Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (1,020)
- Deputy secretary-general – Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming (967)
- National treasurer – Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun (949)
- Vice-chairman – Padang Kota assemblyman Chow Kon Yeow (900)
- Vice-chairman – Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran (826)
- Committee member – Padang Lallang assemblyman Chong Eng (734)
- Committee member – Sungai Pinang assemblyman Datuk Teng Chang Khim (702)
- Committee member – former Pandamaran assemblyman Ronnie Liu (688)
- Assistant national treasurer – Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (659)
- Committee member – Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari (649)
- Deputy secretary-general – Batu Gajah MP V Sivakumar (586)
A total of 1,356 members out of the total 2,576 delegates from 865 branches nationwide turned up at the IDCC Convention Centre to cast their votes.
It was a decrease of 62 members from the original number who voted in 2012 and 2013.
The 62 members who are no longer on the list had either died, resigned from the party or disqualified after being declared bankrupt.
The 20 elected CEC members held their first meeting and selected 10 more members who were co-opted into the line-up:
- Vice-chairman – Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji
- Vice-chairman – Sandakan MP Stephen Wong
- Assistant national organising secretary – Ipoh Timor MP Thomas Su
- Assistant national organising secretary – Ayer Keroh assemblyman Khoo Poay Tiong
- Assistant national publicity secretary – Damansara Utama assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin
- Assistant political education director – Serdang MP Dr Ong Kian Ming
- Committee member – former Bersih 2.0 chairman Jannie Lasimbang
- Committee member – environment consultant Dr John Brian Anthony
- Committee member – Canning assemblyman Wong Kah Woh
- Committee member – Selangor Speaker Hannah Yeoh
Former Johor chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau, who was elected into the committee in the last round is out, along with Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy, who was co-opted as deputy secretary-general in 2013, and Dr Tan Seng Giaw, another co-opted committee member.
Boo once described his party’s leadership as a “Soviet madhouse” and incapable of tolerating dissenting voices. He received 384 votes this time compared to the 961 votes he received previously.
Calling the team a commendable one, Gobind said one could expect results from them.
“There is a lot of work to be done. We have to look ahead and focus on the general election next year,” he said.
Gobind expressed hope that the Registrar of Societies (RoS) would not find fault with the election again.
“It was done in accordance with their instructions, so I do not think there should be problems.
“Let us hope that we can get past this and that the RoS will recognise the CEC, and we can move forward with other matters in DAP,” gobind said.
Selangor DAP committee member Ronnie Liu, who made a comeback into the CEC after a four-year hiatus, also thanked the delegates for their faith in him.
“I will try my level best to serve the party and be the link between the party grassroots and leadership,” he told reporters.