A bid to limit Penang’s sitting chief minister to two consecutive terms of office failed to get a hearing in the state legislative assembly.
The motion, submitted last week by Teh Yee Cheu (a DAP Adun who failed to defend his party exco seat), did not receive any support from the House for it to be debated.
Nepotism of Kim Kit Siang
Currently, the Penang executive line-up features:
- Chief Minister — Lim Guan Eng / DAP
- Deputy Chief Minister (I) — Rashid Hasnon / PKR
- Deputy Chief Minister (II) — P. Ramasamy / DAP
Now let’s do some scenario-building exercises while at the same time examining how the ‘D’ in DAP stands for ‘Daddy’ … the patriarch, Grandpapa Dapster.
BELOW: Sitting in the chair only through Daddy’s fiat
Who should be the next Penang chief minister post-GE14?
Presuming the BN is still floundering in 2018 …
(a) Lim Guan Eng
If Papa Dapster stays on for his third term as CM, it will only confirm that the DAP is a dynastic and dictatorial party … not that we don’t already know.
If DAP was democratic, Guan Eng would want to show that he has the mandate of the people – which he presently does not. He did not contest the Penang DAP election yesterday.
Party delegates are solidly behind Chow Kon Yeow, the incumbent who retained his chairman post by polling the most votes.
Guan Eng dare not put his popularity to the test. As such and clearly ‘unelected’ by DAP Penangites, he does not possess the moral legitimacy to be chief minister.
(b) P. Ramasamy
There might be objections on account that he is not a home-grown Penang boy. But then again, neither is Guan Eng.
Working in Ramasamy’s favour is the fact that come 2018, he would have already had more than 10 years’ experience warming the deputy chief minister seat.
As for party credentials, he is currently the Penang DAP vice chairman.
(c) Chow Kon Yeow
Chow does not have any experience serving as ‘bridesmaid’ to Guan Eng which Ramasamy has done for two [1½] terms. Concerning exposure to the (Deputy) Chief Minister’s office, he is at a disadvantage compared to Ramasamy.
His proponents might urge for him to take precedence over Ramasamy by citing the argument that Chow has been Penang DAP chairman from before Pakatan first won the state in 2008.
Well, Guan Eng has never been Penang DAP chairman and this did not prevent Lim Jr from becoming CM.
Hence not holding the post of Penang DAP chairman should not preclude Ramasamy from moving one rung up the executive ladder either.
(d) Rashid Hasnon
As DCM (I), Rashid should be the automatic choice to succeed Guan Eng if we go by executive hierarchy.
Nonetheless, DAP is the taiko of Penang’s ruling party. It is therefore reasonable for DAP to refuse to relinquish the top job to a PKR rep since DAP has twice the number of PKR Aduns in the Dewan.
Narrowing the option ultimately to picking between Ramasamy and Chow, it’s clear that the great expectation is on the latter.
Why is it that nobody’s seriously entertaining the idea that Ramasamy could and should be the next chief minister of Penang?
Why is the heavy bet on Chow?
Heh, heh, heh … we’re talking about the DAP’s “colour blind” and “beyond race” New Politics here.
~ “no point educating racist parties” ~
Helen Ang 
Helen,
By convention the most senior Penang DAP official should be the Chief Minister. That is the reason why Mohd Hassan becomes MB of NS. He is the most senior UMNO man in NS. Similarly Azizan was the PAS State Commisioner when PAS won Kedah in 2008.
Khalld was PKR no 1 guy in Selangor when PKR won the state. The same goes for other states. the UMNO state liason chief usually becomes the MB when UMNO wins the state. There is exception though. Mukhriz is mere Kedah no 2 guy when UMNO captured the state in 2013. But he is more popular than Bashah, the UMNO state Chief. Najib made the right move by announcing Mukhriz to be the MB should UMNO take over, thus bring in excitement that led to UMNO capturing Kedah.
But why Guan Eng is CM? Why a non Penangite is appointed as CM?
Guan Eng, being the son of DAP Supremo, Kit siang, is “adored” and “obeyed” within DAP circle. But administering a state is a different matter. He cant take criticism although he loves to criticize.
Guan Eng demands transparency EXCEPT for his own administration. Initially Chinese are very happy for DAP to take over Penang( and getting UMNO out of administration). But over the years, they realise he is not that great.
He is more suitable as “Son of Heaven”. He throws tantrum when things get wrong. He said there are 2 camps in PKR when 5 PKR ADUNS abstained in Penang Reclamation issue. If that is his rationale, what about DAP . One DAP man also supported UMNO motion. Are there 2 camps in DAP?
But still he projects himself clean, transparent, efficient. And Chinese continues to trust DAP that makes itself releven by playing racial card.
re: “One DAP man also supported UMNO motion”
And see what the Dear Leader did to him.
Helen,
Judging from recent criticisms towards Guan Eng by Chinese themselves , do you see any decline on support for DAP within Chinese community.
I am amused when many of my Chinese friends praise Guan Eng as a genuine politician who cares for Malaysians. to me that is not the truth. What I see is a politician who plays racial card just to get power for his family.
And this is different from other politicians how?
I suppose they will swear, hand on heart, that playing the racial card is not in their bag of tricks and that it has no place in a parliamentary democracy.
It’s like Donald Trump calling for all Muslims in the US to be registered in a special database.
That’s not playing a “racial card”, is it? It’s just Trump using “freedom of speech” to emote…..
Pray tell us sir, how do you figure that Donald is analogous to Guan Eng in their relationships with Muslims and Chinese respectively?
In playing the “racial card”?
Come on now, don’t be coy…..
Deranged Leader perhaps ?
Hypocrisy is DAP’s middle name. They demand PM to be elected by rakyat and the tenure to be limited yet they refused to walk their talk in Penang or within their own party. Like in communist countries, the Lims are in power for life – self electing themselves as the CM and party leaders.
That’s what democracy is all about, isn’t it? Eh, Mr Sankaran – what sayest thou?
Don’t you believe in the “will of the majority”, “the rule of the ballot box”, “free and fair elections” and the “first past the post” system?
Or, as posted earlier, “democracy” is a …..
‘But why Guan Eng is CM? Why a non Penangite is appointed as CM?’
Because according to widespread belief, on the night of the 308 victory when DAP gathered in the Red Rock Hotel on Macalister Rd, to appoint the new CM, that Grandaddy of DAP thugs, Kit Siang bulldozed the appointment of junior a.hole to the position.
I think it was no surprise to Kon Yeow as Tokong was in Penang earlier, in anticipation of his prize. The sonofabitch even managed to sell me a copy of the Rocket during Thaipusam – just before 308.
Poor fella, this Kon Yeow. After doing all the hard work, he had to surrender the CM position to that freeloading grandson of a pig castrater.
The funny thing is that when I mention this story and the fact that Tokong is the illegitimate CM of Penang to my Chinese friends here, they are surprised (or feign surprise) at this revelation.
Most have no comment.
it was already in the pipe line kerana dia bertanding kerusi dun.
A “vote of no confidence” would be the way to go, would it not?
As is the accepted practice in a parliamentary democracy?
Are you saying that Lim Senior and Lim Junior can’t be unseated through legitimate exercises of said parliamentary democracy?
Why don’t you bend your considerable intellect, given your Nick and all, to the tribulations and woes of the MIC?
Maybe that is another unpalatable truth for another day, eh?
dun p.pinang ada 40 kerusi, dap 19 & bakinya dikongsi oleh pkr, umno baru & pas. siapa berani?
Democracy is a “canine of the female persuasion”, isn’t it?
As long as the good folks in Penang (aka “the electorate”) keep voting LGE and the DAP back into power in Penang…..
Unless you are claiming that the good folks in Penang are a bunch of brainless nincompoops?
As is anyone else anywhere in the county who votes the DAP into a federal or state seat.
But I am sure that Helen wouldn’t go that far, even if she has a visceral dislike for the DAP, Christian evangelistas, the J-Star etc….
Hahaha…..