(From left) Selangor assemblyman Bryan Lai, former Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi and former Penang state executive councillor Danny Law said they are joining Warisan.
KOTA KINABALU: Three prominent former DAP politicians have announced joining Warisan, the largely Sabah-based party which recently spread its wings to the Peninsula.
Selangor state assemblyman Bryan Lai became Warisan’s first elected representative in the Peninsula, while two former Penang DAP personalities are also joining the party – Jeff Ooi, a former two-term Jelutong MP, and Danny Law, a former state executive councillor and party stalwart.
Others joining Warisan are former MIC central working committee member Sunther Subramaniam and former Johor state assemblyman Suhaimi Salleh.
Ooi said he had submitted his resignation to DAP this evening. Law had announced his departure on Tuesday, while Lai had left DAP in April last year and remained an independent member of the Selangor state assembly.
Lai, who represents Teratai in Cheras, said he and his supporters had been waiting to join Warisan for some time and believed Warisan to be the only true multiracial party in the country.
“We will work very hard to ensure (Warisan president) Shafie Apdal becomes the next prime minister after the 15th general election,” he said at a party function here tonight. “He is an open minded and moderate leader, and we need this kind of leader.”
At the same event, Ooi said he wanted to bring Sabah’s “family spirit” to the Peninsula, as politics here was “too toxic and racist”.
He said he and Law had prepared a political strategy for Warisan in Penang and had collated pertinent data for the party.
He told FMT later that he had handed in his resignation by messaging the party’s organising secretary, Loke Siew Fook, at 5.30pm.
Ooi was Jelutong MP for two terms and was dropped in the 2018 election. Law, a three-term Penang assemblyman and two-term state executive councillor, was also dropped as an election candidate in 2018 and held no positions in DAP since.
Law said his foray into Warisan was a “good opportunity to continue his political struggle towards a multiracial country”.
KOTA KINABALU: Three prominent former DAP politicians have announced joining Warisan, the largely Sabah-based party which recently spread its wings to the Peninsula.
Selangor state assemblyman Bryan Lai became Warisan’s first elected representative in the Peninsula, while two former Penang DAP personalities are also joining the party – Jeff Ooi, a former two-term Jelutong MP, and Danny Law, a former state executive councillor and party stalwart.
Others joining Warisan are former MIC central working committee member Sunther Subramaniam and former Johor state assemblyman Suhaimi Salleh.
Ooi said he had submitted his resignation to DAP this evening. Law had announced his departure on Tuesday, while Lai had left DAP in April last year and remained an independent member of the Selangor state assembly.
Lai, who represents Teratai in Cheras, said he and his supporters had been waiting to join Warisan for some time and believed Warisan to be the only true multiracial party in the country.
“We will work very hard to ensure (Warisan president) Shafie Apdal becomes the next prime minister after the 15th general election,” he said at a party function here tonight. “He is an open minded and moderate leader, and we need this kind of leader.”
At the same event, Ooi said he wanted to bring Sabah’s “family spirit” to the Peninsula, as politics here was “too toxic and racist”.
He said he and Law had prepared a political strategy for Warisan in Penang and had collated pertinent data for the party.
He told FMT later that he had handed in his resignation by messaging the party’s organising secretary, Loke Siew Fook, at 5.30pm.
Ooi was Jelutong MP for two terms and was dropped in the 2018 election. Law, a three-term Penang assemblyman and two-term state executive councillor, was also dropped as an election candidate in 2018 and held no positions in DAP since.
Law said his foray into Warisan was a “good opportunity to continue his political struggle towards a multiracial country”.
*********
kt comments:
The DAP broke his heart when they marginalised him in favour of newbies Liew Chin Tong (2008) and subsequently Zairil Khir (2013) in Bukit Bendera just at a time when the DAP was becoming very popular and no longer needed to struggle as it did during Zul's loyal years.
The DAP leaders were bastards, throwing away old lamps for new.
Even then he hung on and soldiered valiantly for the DAP. But years later, seeing utterly no hope as a political candidate with the mob of newbies pouring in (no doubt as Zaid Ibrahim must have felt), on 24 Oct 2013 broken hearted he left DAP, and in Oct 2015 formed the PAP (not the Sing one but called People's Alternative Party). But alas for the late Zulkifli, his newly formed PAP was hijacked by A David Dass who swarmed the party with mainly Indian members. Sadly, he passed away in 2019, a very broken hearted man.
the late Zulkifli Mohd Noor, an unappreciated DAP stalwart
Before Zul's demise, on 01 Oct 2013, the Editor of The Edge wrote a piece titled 'The tragic story of DAP and Zulkifli Mohd Noor', as follows:
Even then he hung on and soldiered valiantly for the DAP. But years later, seeing utterly no hope as a political candidate with the mob of newbies pouring in (no doubt as Zaid Ibrahim must have felt), on 24 Oct 2013 broken hearted he left DAP, and in Oct 2015 formed the PAP (not the Sing one but called People's Alternative Party). But alas for the late Zulkifli, his newly formed PAP was hijacked by A David Dass who swarmed the party with mainly Indian members. Sadly, he passed away in 2019, a very broken hearted man.
the late Zulkifli Mohd Noor, an unappreciated DAP stalwart
Before Zul's demise, on 01 Oct 2013, the Editor of The Edge wrote a piece titled 'The tragic story of DAP and Zulkifli Mohd Noor', as follows:
***
GEORGE TOWN (Oct 1): The saga of the DAP’s central executive committee re-election on Sunday (Sept 29) had a dramatic prologue when one of its most veteran members accused the party’s leadership of racialism and manipulation.
In two consecutive press conferences over a few days, Zulkifli Mohd Noor, a veteran of 26 years, specifically offered himself to take over as DAP’s chairman, saying he was doing so in the name of his Malay race and "marginalised representatives".
Stunning his comrades, he claimed that despite its multi-racial objective the party had never been headed by a Malay in its 47-year history.
Now, Zulkifli is no small fry. He was an elected deputy secretary-general and national vice-chairman of the DAP. And so when he raised a poser before the re-election – directed by the Registrar of Societies – over how many Malays would actually be voted in, many were certainly compelled to take attention.
As it turned out, of the seven Malay members who contested, only one – Zairil Khir Johari with 1,132 votes – managed to make it into the twenty elected slots for the CEC. The eighth, Roseli Abdul Ghani, was among 17 DAP members who withdrew from the race. Zulkifli himself failed, getting only 220 votes, far less than the 808 attained by Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham – the last among the twenty voted in.
(During the original CEC election on Dec 15 last year, Zulkifli garnered 216 votes and after a tabulation error was announced, he recorded 249; then also neither enough to win a place in the CEC.)
'No place for Malays after 2008 GE'
As a postscript to the saga, Zulkifli later declared that his earlier criticisms had been vindicated. “The DAP is not a place for Malays after 8th March 2008,” he stressed. “Not a single ‘original’ Malay leader has been elected (in the CEC).”
He labelled Zairil as a “special Malay” whose victory was due to support from the party’s top leadership, and described the appointment into the CEC of Senator Ariffin Omar (who got 441 votes – still insufficient to be elected), as mere “wallpaper”.
Party members however have asserted that it was just a case of allowing democracy run its course, with individuals being voted for their intrinsic merits rather than their race.
Zulkifli also claimed that his criticisms against secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and his father, adviser Lim Kit Siang, had “opened the delegates’ eyes”, thereby reducing the duos’ share of votes although both managed enough to remain in the CEC. Backing his claim that the re-election outcome was manipulated, he pointed to the 17 who withdrew from the race.
“Were they protesting or was it to aid the evil plan of deception and lies by certain parties?” Zulkifli said. “The delegates, many of whom are new members, are easily influenced and trust those above them in their strategy of deception and lies.”
A spirited and vocal DAP member
For many DAP members who have known Zulkifli all these years, all this has come as a shock and a tragic turn of events. I, myself, used to meet him while covering DAP events in the 1990s. He had always been a very spirited and friendly politician who genuinely believed in the ideals of the DAP, and generally got along with most party members and the media. No doubt, he was opinionated and did not mince his words; I personally remember seeing him make whipping comments to fellow party members. But, whatever he wanted to say was expressed straight in the presence of those whom he ticked off.
For the 18-odd years that I have known him, I have never heard him lash out at the party’s leadership in public or the media. Never. The press conference on Sept 19 was the first time that he openly criticised the leadership to the media, after some 26 years in the party.
But 2008 was a watershed for a veteran member like Zulkifli. When I met him again in the later part of that year, following the DAP’s massive electoral victory in Penang in the general election of March 8, he seemed very disappointed and indignant, almost hurt. Despite him being fielded in many previous elections, Zulkifli had not even been chosen as a candidate in that fateful election of March 8, 2008, in which he may well have won in view of the enormous public mood and political swing at that time.
(Among others, he had previously contested and lost the Bukit Bendera and Bayan Baru parliamentary contests for the DAP in 2004 and 2008 respectively)
See my 20 Feb 2014 post Spartans no more?
Nevertheless, Zulkifli was appointed as a councillor in the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) where he worked assiduously, going to the ground to tackle various problems, from matters related to hawkers to illegal parking attendants. I remember accompanying him during a field trip with councillors to inspect a new bridge project in Jelutong. He spoke privately about his intense disappointment, that not a single Malay DAP member was fielded in Penang, and that as a veteran of so many years he was sidelined from that very important election of 2008.
Umbrage as seats given away to PKR
To make it worse, key multi-ethnic constituencies where DAP’s Malay members could possibly win, like Bayan Baru and its three state constituencies of Batu Maung, Pantai Jerejak and Batu Uban, were given to PKR to contest.
(Bayan Baru was won by the late Ahmad Nor – former president of the public and civil service union body Cuepacs – on a DAP ticket in 1990)
Things came to a head in August 2011, when Zulkifli issued a statement that the DAP had “no choice” but to request at least one parliament and five state seats from PKR in Penang in the next polls. He warned that the DAP may be perceived to be "anti-Malay and chauvinistic" should it fail to field Malay candidates in the next election. At about the same time, the Penang Malay Congress was formed and headed by president Rahmat Isahak, a DAP member. For quite a while, the PMC supported the DAP-led state government while berating Umno.
Interestingly, Rahmat also led a series of attacks against state PKR leaders like Datuk Mansor Othman and Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, especially the latter who had, in 2008, won the Batu Maung seat that could have been won by a DAP Malay candidate. Rahmat only recently left the party and was seen lending support to Zulkifli at the recent press conferences. Whatever happens now – there are speculations that he will quit the party and join another – is really academic, perhaps even inconsequential.
For the real heartbreak is that such a veteran who has seen the party’s trials and tribulations for so long should have a falling out with the leadership in such an ignominious way. That is the tragedy of both the party and the veteran who has long served with it.
GEORGE TOWN (Oct 1): The saga of the DAP’s central executive committee re-election on Sunday (Sept 29) had a dramatic prologue when one of its most veteran members accused the party’s leadership of racialism and manipulation.
In two consecutive press conferences over a few days, Zulkifli Mohd Noor, a veteran of 26 years, specifically offered himself to take over as DAP’s chairman, saying he was doing so in the name of his Malay race and "marginalised representatives".
Stunning his comrades, he claimed that despite its multi-racial objective the party had never been headed by a Malay in its 47-year history.
Now, Zulkifli is no small fry. He was an elected deputy secretary-general and national vice-chairman of the DAP. And so when he raised a poser before the re-election – directed by the Registrar of Societies – over how many Malays would actually be voted in, many were certainly compelled to take attention.
As it turned out, of the seven Malay members who contested, only one – Zairil Khir Johari with 1,132 votes – managed to make it into the twenty elected slots for the CEC. The eighth, Roseli Abdul Ghani, was among 17 DAP members who withdrew from the race. Zulkifli himself failed, getting only 220 votes, far less than the 808 attained by Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham – the last among the twenty voted in.
(During the original CEC election on Dec 15 last year, Zulkifli garnered 216 votes and after a tabulation error was announced, he recorded 249; then also neither enough to win a place in the CEC.)
'No place for Malays after 2008 GE'
As a postscript to the saga, Zulkifli later declared that his earlier criticisms had been vindicated. “The DAP is not a place for Malays after 8th March 2008,” he stressed. “Not a single ‘original’ Malay leader has been elected (in the CEC).”
He labelled Zairil as a “special Malay” whose victory was due to support from the party’s top leadership, and described the appointment into the CEC of Senator Ariffin Omar (who got 441 votes – still insufficient to be elected), as mere “wallpaper”.
Party members however have asserted that it was just a case of allowing democracy run its course, with individuals being voted for their intrinsic merits rather than their race.
Zulkifli also claimed that his criticisms against secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and his father, adviser Lim Kit Siang, had “opened the delegates’ eyes”, thereby reducing the duos’ share of votes although both managed enough to remain in the CEC. Backing his claim that the re-election outcome was manipulated, he pointed to the 17 who withdrew from the race.
“Were they protesting or was it to aid the evil plan of deception and lies by certain parties?” Zulkifli said. “The delegates, many of whom are new members, are easily influenced and trust those above them in their strategy of deception and lies.”
A spirited and vocal DAP member
For many DAP members who have known Zulkifli all these years, all this has come as a shock and a tragic turn of events. I, myself, used to meet him while covering DAP events in the 1990s. He had always been a very spirited and friendly politician who genuinely believed in the ideals of the DAP, and generally got along with most party members and the media. No doubt, he was opinionated and did not mince his words; I personally remember seeing him make whipping comments to fellow party members. But, whatever he wanted to say was expressed straight in the presence of those whom he ticked off.
For the 18-odd years that I have known him, I have never heard him lash out at the party’s leadership in public or the media. Never. The press conference on Sept 19 was the first time that he openly criticised the leadership to the media, after some 26 years in the party.
But 2008 was a watershed for a veteran member like Zulkifli. When I met him again in the later part of that year, following the DAP’s massive electoral victory in Penang in the general election of March 8, he seemed very disappointed and indignant, almost hurt. Despite him being fielded in many previous elections, Zulkifli had not even been chosen as a candidate in that fateful election of March 8, 2008, in which he may well have won in view of the enormous public mood and political swing at that time.
kt note: Zulkifli was replaced by new wonder Zairil Khir to stand in Bukit Bendera, Zul's old constituency
(Among others, he had previously contested and lost the Bukit Bendera and Bayan Baru parliamentary contests for the DAP in 2004 and 2008 respectively)
See my 20 Feb 2014 post Spartans no more?
Nevertheless, Zulkifli was appointed as a councillor in the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) where he worked assiduously, going to the ground to tackle various problems, from matters related to hawkers to illegal parking attendants. I remember accompanying him during a field trip with councillors to inspect a new bridge project in Jelutong. He spoke privately about his intense disappointment, that not a single Malay DAP member was fielded in Penang, and that as a veteran of so many years he was sidelined from that very important election of 2008.
Umbrage as seats given away to PKR
To make it worse, key multi-ethnic constituencies where DAP’s Malay members could possibly win, like Bayan Baru and its three state constituencies of Batu Maung, Pantai Jerejak and Batu Uban, were given to PKR to contest.
(Bayan Baru was won by the late Ahmad Nor – former president of the public and civil service union body Cuepacs – on a DAP ticket in 1990)
Things came to a head in August 2011, when Zulkifli issued a statement that the DAP had “no choice” but to request at least one parliament and five state seats from PKR in Penang in the next polls. He warned that the DAP may be perceived to be "anti-Malay and chauvinistic" should it fail to field Malay candidates in the next election. At about the same time, the Penang Malay Congress was formed and headed by president Rahmat Isahak, a DAP member. For quite a while, the PMC supported the DAP-led state government while berating Umno.
Interestingly, Rahmat also led a series of attacks against state PKR leaders like Datuk Mansor Othman and Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, especially the latter who had, in 2008, won the Batu Maung seat that could have been won by a DAP Malay candidate. Rahmat only recently left the party and was seen lending support to Zulkifli at the recent press conferences. Whatever happens now – there are speculations that he will quit the party and join another – is really academic, perhaps even inconsequential.
For the real heartbreak is that such a veteran who has seen the party’s trials and tribulations for so long should have a falling out with the leadership in such an ignominious way. That is the tragedy of both the party and the veteran who has long served with it.
***
Yes, kaytee admits shedding a tear or two or more at Zul's resignation from DAP and finally, his eventual sad demise, no doubt still broken hearted at the way the DAP inner leadership had ill-treated him in favour of glamorous 'newbies' (with double degrees, MBA, PhD etc).
Yes, kaytee admits shedding a tear or two or more at Zul's resignation from DAP and finally, his eventual sad demise, no doubt still broken hearted at the way the DAP inner leadership had ill-treated him in favour of glamorous 'newbies' (with double degrees, MBA, PhD etc).
Yes, that's why I am not surprised blokes like Jeff Ooi, veteran Danny Law (with sterling performce all through the years he served as MP and ADUN) and Brain Lai have all left for Warisan - WTF will they do if they hang around in DAP? Handing out election campaign posters?
When Bryan Lai's "affair" got exposed, his position in DAP became untenable.
ReplyDeleteHe's just Gatal, not that far unlike Paul Yong, but nevertheless he ain't no hero.
Warisan can have him.
Jeff Ooi became damaged goods in DAP and politics in general after This incident.
https://www.malaysiakini.com/read4free/248099/XnqJKKEyW#jeff-ooi-apologises-after-earful-from-karpal
you seem to have an issue with Jeff - on the 'kuching kurap' tirade, he had apologised - it wasn't a disastrous issue of monumental proportion. So your 'damaged goods' remark has been totally nonsense
DeleteI actually contributed to Jeff Ooi's election campaign in 2008, I really believed in his potential.
DeleteIf you have followed Jeff Ooi's progress after "Kucing Kurap" incident, you would know that he has been politically ineffective after that.
Damaged Goods indeed.
Trojan horses in Warisan
ReplyDelete"The DAP leaders were bastards, throwing away old lamps for new.
ReplyDeleteDAP that has marginalised too many of its own experienced politicians.
The late Zulkifli Mohd Noor, a fellow Penang lang who was a DAP veteran for 26 years, yes, indirectly chased out of DAP through his humiliation of being marginalised despite 26 years of loyalty to a then-struggling party, more so when Zul was a Malay."
Wakakakakaka…
How about deadwoods a plenty in a party that has been profiled racially & ideologically as detrimental to national building by its opponents?
How about taking calculated chances with new young infills to give the party a potential reinvigorate outlook to the electoral? Of course, those old foxes within the core must be retained to guide the new intakes. (Note - experienced foxes, not gajibuta deadwoods. Reinvigorate & marginate r two poles of the politic plays that r mist likely mutually exclusive!)
A melayu veteran of 26yrs & yet contributed zilch to cultivate the real understanding of DAP struggles to his kindred proved how effective was his 'efforts'. He had been sitting in the DAP core just bcoz of his melayuness - that the DAP needed so desperately - to project an inclusive image.
In fact Zul consistent appearance in DAP core only reinforced that he was 'used' by the DAP Nons to entice the Malays!
Indeed it was time for him to go voluntary rather than still claiming any relevancy to the racial & political struggles of DAP. Yet he had to be sidelined just to prove that Zul was fighting to salvage for a 'reputation' that he knew his melayu kindred would NEVER bestowed upon him.
Zul was NO Pendita Zaaba material - both in personality & ideological conviction!
CK, don't be a racist like the Yanks - if you have any proof to support your remarks, show them
DeleteWow… just a simple factual comment expose me a racist!
DeleteU, da man!
Proof?
A simple one - what has zul achieved in his 26yrs struggle in DAP?
How about how many melayu of substance he managed to cultivate for the party he so loved to serve?