‘I’ll defend Kepong seat’
DAP MP says he won’t retire amid talk of being dropped
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP’s Kepong MP Dr Tan Seng Giaw will defend the seat that he has held for eight terms despite speculation that he would be dropped this time around.
“I will not withdraw,” said the 75-year-old, who has been a DAP member since 1979.
“I will not withdraw. Donald Trump became US president when he was 75. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is 93, is still Pakatan Harapan chairman,” said the skin specialist in an interview here recently.
He was responding to reports that he might be dropped to make way for Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng.
Dr Tan had earlier claimed that there were also attempts to discredit his work in the constituency.
Talk has been rife that the former DAP vice-chairman had fallen out of favour with his party because of his frank views and open criticism of the Penang state government, particularly in handling environmental issues with regard to development projects.
Dr Tan, who will turn 76 on May 24, said: “There are some who say that at my age, I should be in the hospital or rest at home or no longer take heed of politics. That eight terms is enough, and I should retire.
“But I don’t care what they say about me. They say I am too old. But I am still strong and capable of helping the rakyat.
“People still want to meet me to get my services as an MP and they still believe in me,” he said.
Dr Tan, who was Selangor DAP chairman from 1982 until 1987, said however his candidacy depended on the party leadership.
“I can still work like usual and am still interested in defending the Kepong seat,” said Dr Tan, who was born in Kota Baru, Kelantan.
Dr Tan, who is also the Public Accounts Committee vice-chairman, said there was also talk of him being dropped in the last general election in 2013 but he retained his seat with a 40,307-vote majority against MyPPP’s Chandrakumanan Arumugam and Independent Yee Poh Ping.
He also said he always held onto the principle of “being brave because it was true”.
“As an MP or a leader, whatever statement I make must be supported by proof.
“I always speak based on the truth,” he said. — Bernama