KUALA LUMPUR: Less than two weeks after the DAP's national congress and election, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has announced a reshuffle of the party's central executive committee.

He announced a swap of positions between Tan Kok Wai, the national organising secretary, and Teresa Kok, the national vice-chairman.

Tan is now DAP's national vice-chairman and Teresa Kok, the national organising secretary.

The decision was finalised during an emergency CEC meeting on Wednesday, Lim said in a statement yesterday.

Tan, who has been the national organising secretary for 13 years, said he had proposed the change as he felt it was time for someone else to take over the job.
But, he was quick to point out that the switch did not constitute a promotion for him or a demotion for Kok.

"I suggested Kok as my replacement as she was capable. She agreed to take it up and offered to swap portfolios. Everything was done in a friendly manner," said the Cheras MP.

However, Kok said Tan had wanted a chance to spread his wings and to play other roles in the party.

"The first time he told us was at the recent national congress, we did not take him seriously because we felt he was still the best man for the job.

"The next day, when the newly-elected CEC came together to assign the posts, he voiced his refusal again but his opinion was overruled by the rest of the committee," she said.

"After the national congress, when the time came for the party to organise and plan on how to carry out its new projects, he again insisted that he did not want to be national organising secretary."

After that, Kok said, the CEC gave in to Tan's request and she was asked to take over.