Gobind the big winner in DAP polls
Puchong MP gets backing from party members and set to carry on late dad’s work
SHAH ALAM: Karpal Singh remained a factor in DAP even after his death and his son Gobind Singh Deo (pic) looks poised to carry on from where the father left off after the party’s special congress to re-elect fresh central executive committee (CEC) members.
Gobind, the Puchong MP, was second with 1,198 votes, just one vote behind stalwart Lim Kit Siang who had 1,199 votes.
Gobind’s growing popularity is an indication that he would quickly be filling his father’s shoes.
Gobind was later named as the party’s deputy chairman.
Even in death, Karpal received 43 votes. The former party chairman died in an accident in 2014.
His name, as well as those of five others who have since resigned from DAP, had to be in the list as they had all contested for CEC in the 2012 and 2013 polls.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng trailed in at third place with 1,180 votes followed by Seremban MP Anthony Loke who received 1,175 votes and Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong with 1,123 votes.
Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching came in sixth with 1,080 votes followed by Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen with 1,057 votes.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai and Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua filled up the remaining three places in the top 10 group with 1,033, 1,021 and 1,020 votes.
The bottom 10 of the 20 elected CEC members was made up of Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming (967 votes), Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun (949 votes), Padang Kota assemblyman Chow Kon Yeow (900), Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran (826), Padang Lallang assemblyman Chong Eng (734), Sungai Pinang assemblyman Datuk Teng Chang Khim (702), former Pandamaran assemblyman Ronnie Liu (688), Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (659), Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari (649) and Batu Gajah MP V. Sivakumar with 586 votes.
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 in 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.
They are Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji, Sandakan MP Stephen Wong, Ipoh Timor MP Thomas Su, Ayer Keroh assemblyman Khoo Poay Tiong, Damansara Utama assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin, Serdang MP Dr Ong Kian Ming, former Bersih 2.0 chairman Jannie Lasimbang, environment consultant Dr John Brian Anthony, Canning assemblyman Wong Kah Woh and Selangor Speaker Hannah Yeoh.
The 2017 national party leadership line-up is made up of Tan Kok Wai as chairman. Five vice chairmen were named – Chong Chieng Jen, Chow Kon Yeow, Kulasegaran, Tengku Zulpuri Shah and Stephen Wong Tien Fatt.
Guan Eng remains the party secretary-general while the deputy secretary-generals are Teresa Kok Suh Sim, Nga Kor Ming and Sivakumar.
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.