GEORGE TOWN – No individuals should be elevated as leaders in DAP by the virtue of being someone’s kin as the party values meritocracy and its members would vote in their leaders based on merit.
Penang DAP vice-chairman Zairil Khir Johari said while it remains indisputable that DAP’s stalwarts – the late Datuk Seri Karpal Singh and Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang – are revered by party members, it would be a disservice to their legacy if people feel their kin should get positions simply due to familial ties.
“They are two great leaders who have built up the party into what it is today. That will always be the case,” he said.
“(However) I think nobody should get positioned by virtue of being the son of anyone (and) that applies to all parties and all people.
“I think DAP has always stood for meritocracy, and in that vein, I would say (that) DAP members who believe in meritocracy will choose people based on capability – not simply because of your surname,” he said in an interview in his office here recently.
Zairil was asked to comment about the emergence of “anti-dynasty sentiments” within the party – especially against the kin of Karpal and Kit Siang – which was hinted at in several scenarios occurring within the party, as it is gearing up for the upcoming central executive committee (CEC) elections on March 16.
In last year’s Penang DAP election, deputy chief minister Jagdeep Singh Deo, who is Karpal’s eldest son, did not make it to the top 15 cut of the state committee, while his brother, Gobind Singh Deo, lost the chairman position in the Selangor DAP elections last year after holding it for two terms.
Meanwhile, Penang DAP secretary Lim Hui Ying – who is Kit Siang’s daughter – underperformed in last year’s state party election as she slid from the 4th place in the 2021 elections to 12th place. Additionally, it has been reported that party chairman and Kit Siang’s son, Lim Guan Eng, may be facing a challenge to his position as members seek a fresh face.
Anti-dynasty sentiments not a factor
Zairil, who is Tg Bungah assemblyman, dismissed anti-dynasty sentiments as the contributing factor behind the underperformance of these leaders, as he pointed out that party election results are complex and are influenced by various factors.
“I don’t think it’s simply because they don’t want a dynasty. I think in DAP, we (would) like to think that we are a meritocratic (party).
“So when people (members) choose their leaders, it’s mainly based on performance, and also how they engage with the members,” he added.
Party members, rakyat’s expectations
Zairil, who has been with DAP for 15 years, and is the State executive councilor for Infrastructure, Transport and Digital, said that its members want the party to remain strong and relevant and be able to carry out its duties as it is part of some state governments and the federal government.
Additionally, he pointed out that the members as well as the voters, want the party to shift its mentality from being the opposition party it used to be to a ruling party – now that the party has been ruling Penang for 17 years.
“The rakyat have voted us as their government, and they expect us to behave like one, not like the opposition.
“So perhaps, the members want that to resonate, or rather they (want) resonate with the need to be relevant in today’s circumstances. I would say that much,” he added. – February 28, 2025