Klang MP Charles Santiago is the latest victim of a DAP purge

The DAP elite is protecting their own

Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has been dumped in the continuing DAP purge against long established sitting MPs to strengthen sectional interests within the party. This is part of a wider move by DAP party chairman Lim Guan Eng and secretary general Anthony Loke to replace the old guard with their own group of candidates.

This move is receiving pushback by grassroots members of the DAP, who are accusing the central committee of abandoning meritocracy in favour of cronyism.

In Santiago’s case, his potential dumping has attracted widespread criticism as being racist, as rumours are emerging the central committee wants to install a Chinese candidate with weaker credentials than the incumbent. According to local residents, Santiago has been a stellar performer as the MP for Klang, and praised for his empathetic bond with local residents.

Santiago has been working on flood mitigation plans and a better deal for Indians living in Klang, which will be destroyed by the politics of the DAP.

Only a couple of days ago, Selangor state assembly member Ronnie Liu had made a public warning that the DAP has dramatically changed. The grassroot membership is not happy, as democratic principles have been thrown out in favour of a minority clique within the DAP.

Ronnie’s comments have been corroborated and expanded upon by others. Other sources within the DAP claim the objective of this purge is to place DAP leaders across the country in a position to protect individuals, whose families are under scrutiny.

The recent amendment to the DAP Constitution allowing the Secretary General to remove any members who disagree with the Central Committee is a tyranny of the minority over the majority.

In addition, dissatisfaction has spread outside the party into the general community. Both the Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Klang Hokkien Association have thrown their support behind Santiago because he has strongly supported the local communities.

Charles Santiago won his seat in the electoral Tsunami back in 2008, where he won from Ch’ng Toh Eng of the MCA with an 17,701 majority. His majority in 2013 was 24,685, and a massive 78,773 in the 2018 general election, where Pakatan Harapan came to power.

Santiago has been described as one of the most successful backbenchers. Under such circumstances, it must be asked why the DAP central committee would consider dumping such a popular and successful MP.

There have been rumours that Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah may grab the seat after he has done a deal with Lim Guan Eng and Anthony Loke, which led to the ousting of Ronnie Liu in the Selangor state DAP party elections.

No formal decision has actually been made. Final lists will be drawn up over the weekend and submitted to the central committee for approval.

The candidate selection committee consists of party chairman Lim Guan Eng, deputy Gabind Singh Deo, Secretary General Anthony Loke, Vice-President M. Kulasegaran, and National Vice-Chairman Nga Kor Ming.

A clear and present danger to the DAP

It’s a great shame the DAP doesn’t practice what it preaches in allowing branches to have authority to select local candidates. The DAP was supposed to be a democratic party. Now it’s becoming a crony party. It now run by a small elite, who are overriding grassroots party intentions.

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