Seng Giaw launches thinly veiled attack against party

KUALA LUMPUR: After being dropped as a DAP candidate for GE14, eight-term Kepong MP Dr Tan Seng Giaw launched a thinly veiled attack against the party’s leadership by drawing a comparison with his mentor, the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Khoon.

“He (Chee Khoon) was more honest than most of these people (DAP). Chee Khoon did a lot of ground work and he helped a lot of poor people,” he said.

Chee Khoon, once known as Mr Opposition for his outspoken views in Parliament, co-founded Gerakan in 1968 and later left to form Parti Keadilan Masyarakat Malaysia (Pekemas) in 1972.

Seng Giaw first got involved in politics at the age of 34 by joining Pekemas in 1976 after he was approached by Chee Khoon.

According to Seng Giaw, Chee Khoon wouldn’t have taken the same approach as the Opposition did by attacking Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for his role in 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

“He would do what I do – to maintain that a person is innocent until proven guilty,” Seng Giaw said in an interview.

The 75-year-old added that his views on 1MDB earned him brickbats.

The Public Accounts Committee deputy chairman said the Opposition had many times in the past invited him to speak at ceramah on 1MDB alongside Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“They wanted me to share the same platform as Dr Mahathir. But I never did because I was probably going to say the same thing. Could they accept that?”

DAP’s two-term Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng will replace Seng Giaw in Kepong this election.