Lim Guan Eng vacates DAP secretary-general post; Lim Kit Siang retires from politics

KUALA LUMPUR: Bagan Member of Parliament Lim Guan Eng has vacated his post as the secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) while his father and the party’s veteran leader Lim Kit Siang has retired from politics. 

The announcements were made on Sunday (Mar 20) during the party’s 17th national congress in Shah Alam. 

In his speech during the congress, the younger Mr Lim said that DAP was in a “transitional generation where a new secretary-general will be elected”. 

“This will be my final speech as secretary-general and I am grateful for all the support the party has given to me,” said Mr Lim Guan Eng. 

“I am proud that through my tenure as secretary-general, DAP has transformed itself from aspiring to be the largest opposition party to aspiring to be the next government. We have shown that DAP is capable of governing Malaysia,” he added. 

Mr Lim Guan Eng has been at the helm of the party for 17 years. He cannot be re-elected to the post because he has served the maximum three terms. 

In a press conference on Sunday evening, DAP's new Central Executive Committee (CEC) announced that Seremban MP Anthony Loke was the party's new secretary-general. 

DAP’s leadership renewal comes in the wake of the party’s underwhelming performances in the Melaka, Sarawak and Johor state elections. 

In the recent Johor polls, Barisan Nasional (BN) romped to victory, winning 40 out of 56 seats in the state assembly. Pakatan Harapan (PH) only won 12 seats, with DAP retaining 10 out of 14 state seats it held. 

In his speech, Mr Lim Guan Eng acknowledged that the party had weaknesses, and called for unity between the PH coalition partners ahead of national polls. 

“PH needs to do a better job to communicate our message if we are to regain the people’s support. To succeed, we must not blame others for the loss of popular support but look at our own weaknesses as to why there is a lower voter turnout,” said Mr Lim Guan Eng.

“We need to face up to our record when we were in the PH government,” he added. 

The 61-year-old also called for PH to use a common logo to demonstrate “unity of purpose” between coalition partners. 

He explained that it was this cooperation that helped PH win the 2018 General Election, with DAP winning 42 parliamentary seats.

However, the PH government led by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was ousted in February 2020 in a political manoeuvre dubbed the “Sheraton Move”. 

The move saw PH lose control of the federal government and a few state governments. 

“Whilst DAP is tempted to use the Rocket logo, DAP will stick to the coalition logo of PH to help us to win together,” said Mr Lim Guan Eng. 

“No single party has won the general elections, only coalition parties have succeeded in winning power since Merdeka. We need to share victories with our allies through a common logo so that we can win more seats,” he added. 

BATTLE FOR THE "MALAYSIAN DREAM" MUST GO ON: LIM KIT SIANG 

In his speech at the congress, Iskandar Puteri MP and DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang announced his retirement after 56 years in politics. 

“I take this opportunity to announce my political retirement and I will not contest for any position, including the party CEC today - you should delete Number 39 from the CEC candidate list - or any parliamentary or state assembly seat,” said Mr Lim Kit Siang. 

He added that he was proud to see DAP develop from a small opposition party when it first contested in the general election in 1969, into a major political party in the PH coalition that won the 14th General Election. 

However, he called for the party members to continue with efforts to help the country realise its “Malaysian dream” and become a “world-class great nation”. 

“The battle for the Malaysian dream must go on until it is achieved but this is in your hands,” he added. 

At the end of his speech, Mr Lim Kit Siang was greeted with a standing ovation.

Mr Lim Guan Eng also paid tribute to his father’s contributions, outlining his “boundless faith” that people would choose right against wrong. 

“Lim Kit Siang is seen by ordinary Malaysians as a statesman and a visionary willing to take the road less travelled by boldly making decisions not for the next elections but for the next generation,” said Mr Lim Guan Eng.

ANTHONY LOKE APPOINTED NEW SEC-GEN 

Following the announcements, party delegates voted on the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC). The CEC then collectively decided on the party’s office bearers.

Mr Loke, previously the party's national organising secretary, was announced on Sunday evening as the new secretary-general.

The party's Johor chief Liew Chin Tong was appointed deputy secretary-general. 

Mr Lim Guan Eng, who was also re-elected into the CEC, was the party's new national chairman while Puchong MP Gobind Singh was appointed deputy national chairman. 

Speaking at the press conference, Mr Loke thanked the party veterans for their service and pledged "inclusive leadership". 

"In the DAP, there are many talents and strengths. My approach is to continue with our tradition of a collective and inclusive leadership so that every DAP leader, whether they are in the CEC or not, will have a role to play in strengthening the party," he said.