SHAH ALAM: The DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) re-election results on Sunday have proven that the culture of nepotism is thriving and very much accepted in the party.
Selangor Umno liaison committee deputy chairman Datuk Mat Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan said this as DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Bagan MP, maintained the position to lead the party alongside his father, Lim Kit Siang.
Kit Siang emerged top with 1,199 votes while Guan Eng obtained 1,180, the third highest.
"We can see that nepotism is alive in DAP and I have to 'congratulate' the party for successfully defending the culture. Why wasn't Gobind Singh Deo made the party's sec-gen when he secured the second highest number of votes at 1,198, ahead of Guan Eng?
"Isn't this against the party's principles of democracy and meritocracy? It is obvious that Guan Eng and Kit Siang do not trust other people to helm the party.
"They only want the 'Lim dynasty and descendants' to continue to chart the direction of the party so that they can hold on to power," Nadzari told the New Straits Times on Tuesday.
Nadzari, who is also Batang Kali assemblyman, said this when met on the sidelines of the Selangor state legislative assembly.
He added that this was evident with protests from the grassroots level against Guan Eng's nomination in the CEC re-election but it fell to deaf ears.
"Guan Eng is being implicated in a graft scandal which has been brought to court. But their protests meant nothing as Guan Eng was still nominated in the re-election," said Nadzari.
It was reported that that 1,356 of 2,514 DAP delegates cast their votes in the CEC re-election.
Independent auditor Grant Thornton, a United States-based firm, announced that the attendance was 53.94 per cent.
Meanwhile, Selangor Umno liaison committee secretary Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz said the low turnout at the CEC re-election showed that the trust, respect and confidence of the delegates towards DAP has gone downhill.
"The CEC re-election was important and very much anticipated but the attendance was poor. Many delegates decided against voting and this reflects the weakening support for the party, which already have cracks and is about to collapse.
"They are fed-up with the leadership which had gone against its principles such as working closely with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. They are also wondering when the Lim father and son will end their reign in DAP, especially Kit Siang," added Johan.