The Star:
A tirade never seen before in DAP
Monday, 17 Feb 20251:37 PM MYT
Monday, 17 Feb 20251:37 PM MYT
THE dinner to honour Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang for his services to the party and to mark his 84th birthday on Thursday (Feb 13) went off smoothly.
The birthday boy was his usual stoic self but he seemed pleased with the full house attendance at the Han Chiang High School hall and the glowing speeches that showed he is not forgotten.
Of course, everyone could see that the dinner was to rally support for his son and DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng’s bid for a place in the party's central executive committee election (CEC) next month.
Then in the blink of an eye, a perfect evening suddenly collapsed into controversy, no thanks to a stream of verbal abuse that Guan Eng’s long-time aide, Tan Khong Chong, directed at Steven Sim.
It was extremely ugly because he called Sim a traitor who tried to topple his boss, he challenged Sim to turn around and face him and the words he used caused someone in the crowd to say it was like “talking to a dog”.
People, especially the women, sensed trouble and could be seen moving away from commotion.
Sim could hear every word said but did not lose his cool and continued chatting with those around him. He was a class act in the face of adversity.
A video of the incident went viral within hours and reports about it have been splashed all over the Chinese vernacular papers.
In Hollywood, this would have been described as a tirade heard around the country.
“In all my years in politics, I have never seen anything like this happen in our party. It reflects his level to talk like this in public,” said a highly-respected Selangor DAP figure.
Guan Eng’s team is believed to blame Sim for engineering Lim Hui Ying’s near defeat in the Penang DAP election last September.
The Deputy Finance Minister ended up No 12 in the 15-person line-up and it was a blow to her family’s plans to make her the next Penang Chief Minister.
It was not a good moment for Sim to be berated so publicly and some wondered if this could affect his ratings in the CEC election.
Those in the Chinese media, however, said it would hurt Guan Eng more than Sim. In fact, Sim showed maturity and poise in not reacting, giving Penangites a glimpse of the sort of Chief Minister he could be when the time comes.
Many pointed out that it was rude and disrespectful of a party worker to speak that way to Sim who is Penang DAP chairman and Human Resources Minister.
Critics of the incident said that one can be angry and badmouth another leader but to do it so openly was unacceptable.
They said it was a foolish incident that could be equated to spitting in the face of the party.
Guan Eng’s approval ratings have plunged, especially after his incessant attacks against his successor Chow Kon Yeow over the last two years.
He has been relying on his father and party old-timers to save him.
He is no longer the darling of the Chinese media, namely because he was very demanding and full of complaints about the way he was reported when he was at the top.
He once called a press conference to condemn two columnists - one from Sin Chew Daily and the other from The Star - for predicting the Sheraton Move.
He said they were writing lies but a few weeks later, the Mahathir 2.0 government fell and he lost his Finance Minister post.
Guan Eng’s team is making too many enemies at a time when he needs support from all sides to win.
A glaring absence at the Kit Siang dinner was Chief Minister Chow who had conveniently planned an investment trip to Japan.
Chow has no problem with Lao Da, or elder brother as Kit Siang is known, but there was no way he wanted to be associated with an event to rally support for Guan Eng.
And that is why the situation in Penang has been likened to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a classical Chinese novel dealing with plots, personal rivalry, military battles, intrigues and struggles of feudal lords to achieve dominance.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has been trying to downplay the politicking but he needs to get real because rivalry and competition exists in every party especially parties that are in power because there is much to gain from winning.
But Guan Eng’s eagerness to make it into the CEC is said to have more to do with the undersea tunnel corruption case he is fighting.
Being in the party leadership lineup will help sustain his relevance so that he is not forgotten.
Can his venerated father save his career?
The above Selangor personality said Lao Da is “already on the altar”.
It is a Chinese saying suggesting that the person is already at a different level and it is difficult for those on the ground to relate to what he is about.
Guan Eng was once the party’s golden child but he has fallen from grace.
However, those in the Chinese vernacular media are predicting that he will be able to make it into the CEC but will not be reappointed national chairman.
The birthday boy was his usual stoic self but he seemed pleased with the full house attendance at the Han Chiang High School hall and the glowing speeches that showed he is not forgotten.
Of course, everyone could see that the dinner was to rally support for his son and DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng’s bid for a place in the party's central executive committee election (CEC) next month.
Then in the blink of an eye, a perfect evening suddenly collapsed into controversy, no thanks to a stream of verbal abuse that Guan Eng’s long-time aide, Tan Khong Chong, directed at Steven Sim.
It was extremely ugly because he called Sim a traitor who tried to topple his boss, he challenged Sim to turn around and face him and the words he used caused someone in the crowd to say it was like “talking to a dog”.
People, especially the women, sensed trouble and could be seen moving away from commotion.
Sim could hear every word said but did not lose his cool and continued chatting with those around him. He was a class act in the face of adversity.
A video of the incident went viral within hours and reports about it have been splashed all over the Chinese vernacular papers.
In Hollywood, this would have been described as a tirade heard around the country.
“In all my years in politics, I have never seen anything like this happen in our party. It reflects his level to talk like this in public,” said a highly-respected Selangor DAP figure.
Guan Eng’s team is believed to blame Sim for engineering Lim Hui Ying’s near defeat in the Penang DAP election last September.
The Deputy Finance Minister ended up No 12 in the 15-person line-up and it was a blow to her family’s plans to make her the next Penang Chief Minister.
It was not a good moment for Sim to be berated so publicly and some wondered if this could affect his ratings in the CEC election.
Those in the Chinese media, however, said it would hurt Guan Eng more than Sim. In fact, Sim showed maturity and poise in not reacting, giving Penangites a glimpse of the sort of Chief Minister he could be when the time comes.
Many pointed out that it was rude and disrespectful of a party worker to speak that way to Sim who is Penang DAP chairman and Human Resources Minister.
Critics of the incident said that one can be angry and badmouth another leader but to do it so openly was unacceptable.
They said it was a foolish incident that could be equated to spitting in the face of the party.
Guan Eng’s approval ratings have plunged, especially after his incessant attacks against his successor Chow Kon Yeow over the last two years.
He has been relying on his father and party old-timers to save him.
He is no longer the darling of the Chinese media, namely because he was very demanding and full of complaints about the way he was reported when he was at the top.
He once called a press conference to condemn two columnists - one from Sin Chew Daily and the other from The Star - for predicting the Sheraton Move.
He said they were writing lies but a few weeks later, the Mahathir 2.0 government fell and he lost his Finance Minister post.
Guan Eng’s team is making too many enemies at a time when he needs support from all sides to win.
A glaring absence at the Kit Siang dinner was Chief Minister Chow who had conveniently planned an investment trip to Japan.
Chow has no problem with Lao Da, or elder brother as Kit Siang is known, but there was no way he wanted to be associated with an event to rally support for Guan Eng.
And that is why the situation in Penang has been likened to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a classical Chinese novel dealing with plots, personal rivalry, military battles, intrigues and struggles of feudal lords to achieve dominance.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has been trying to downplay the politicking but he needs to get real because rivalry and competition exists in every party especially parties that are in power because there is much to gain from winning.
But Guan Eng’s eagerness to make it into the CEC is said to have more to do with the undersea tunnel corruption case he is fighting.
Being in the party leadership lineup will help sustain his relevance so that he is not forgotten.
Can his venerated father save his career?
The above Selangor personality said Lao Da is “already on the altar”.
It is a Chinese saying suggesting that the person is already at a different level and it is difficult for those on the ground to relate to what he is about.
Guan Eng was once the party’s golden child but he has fallen from grace.
However, those in the Chinese vernacular media are predicting that he will be able to make it into the CEC but will not be reappointed national chairman.
***
kt comments:
Tokong should explain his role in the shameful incident - really unforgivable. Steven Sim played the cool cat very well, in control of his emotions throughout the stupid shameful abuses.
But Lim Hui Ying? Really, we have all seen her performances and personality, and I am sad to say she doesn't have that Lim-family's trademark of leadership, so her potential as a future Penang CM is MOST unlikely. She should be more than satisfied with her current deputy minister position.
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