KUALA LUMPUR — DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has ticked off his predecessor Lim Guan Eng as well as Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow for their public spat on new land taxes in the state.
Loke said the DAP central leadership viewed Lim’s approach as “highly inappropriate” given his stature as party secretary-general and former chief minister of Penang.
“Guan Eng…should should fully appreciate the importance of party discipline. Any disagreements, especially from backbenchers on State Government decisions, should be addressed through established internal mechanisms rather than aired publicly.
“Differences of opinion should not be expressed in a manner that undermines our own Chief Minister and the State Government,” Loke said in a statement today.
He said Lim and Chow were engaging in “an unhealthy and inappropriate way to address internal differences on public policy matters”.
Loke said Chow also needed to take serious note of the concerns raised and address them in a balance, responsive and considerate manner.
“Party leaders must refrain from public bickering and instead work together constructively in the best interests of the people.
“This public spat must come to an end, and party discipline must be upheld at all times. As Secretary-General of DAP, I will convene a meeting involving both leaders to resolve this matter amicably,” Loke added.
Lim and Chow have been at loggerheads since early this year over Penang’s quit rent rates, which have spiked sharply — reportedly by the “hundreds- to thousands-fold” — leading to complaints from many property owners, especially owners of village houses and low-cost strata units who are unable to pay.
At the same time, Lim also noted the repeated corrections made to land tax calculations which he said showed that Penang’s system was flawed and unfair.
Lim, who was Penang chief minister from 2008 to 2018, urged the state government to review its quit rent calculation method, citing current problems as a sign of Chow’s incompetency.
In a recent statement, the Bagan MP also made a claim that voters would not have supported Chow had they known quit rent rates would spike so drastically.
Chow has defended the rate calculations, saying there were various key details such as lot size and land use that Lim had omitted.
The chief minister also said landowners unable to pay their tax in a lump sum may apply to settle in instalments within the same year. – March 21, 2026