KULAI – DAP national publicity secretary Teo Nie Ching said changing veterans for younger candidates in elections is a normal thing in any political party and provides opportunities for youth to be part of politics.
“I feel it’s normal, and DAP is no exception. PKR and Umno also dropped veterans in favour of new faces,” she said when asked about Penang DAP deputy chairman P. Ramasamy’s decision to leave the party, after providing donations to the owners of six houses involved in a fire in Jalan Ibrahim here today.
She said that his resignation would not affect DAP’s campaign or Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) changes to defend the state in the upcoming election on August 12, adding that the party did not have a right to stop his decision.
“I think it’s up to the voters to decide, not only in Penang, but also in Selangor, where there are some former executive councillors and assemblymen who were not nominated. They all reacted differently, some were disappointed, others campaigned to help candidates, and there were those who left their parties.
“So, I feel the people can see who is loyal to the party and who feels that being a candidate is more important than championing the party’s agenda,” she said.
Ramasamy, the former Perai assemblyman and Penang deputy chief minister II, conveyed his decision in a letter to DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke and Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow this morning after voicing his dissatisfaction over being dropped as a candidate for the upcoming elections. – August 10, 2023