DAP CEC removes Wee Choo Keong as National Publicity Secretary, suspends Liew Ah Kim and Fung Ket Wing as National Vice Chairman and National Treasurer respectively, and refers them to Disciplinary Committee


Media  Conference  Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  

(Malacca, Thursday): Acting on the complaints of the Perak State Committee and the Malacca State Committee, the DAP Central Executive Committee at its meeting at DAP PJ Headquarters last night, took the following three decisions:

The Perak State Committee, at its meeting on 30th may 1998, unanimously lodged a complaint against Sdr. Wee Choo Keong for his remarks against the party leadership at a meeting with the Perak State Committee members, branch chairmen, secretaries, treasurers and all sub-committee chairman, secretaries and treasurers at Tambun Inn, Ipoh on 24th May 1998.  Sdr. Wee Choo Keong was accompanied by Sdr. Fung Ket Wing and Sdr. Liew Ah Kim at the meeting.

The Malacca State Committee, at an emergency meeting on 1st June 1998, unanimously censured Sdr.Liew Ah Kim, Sdr. Fung Ket Wing and Sdr. Wee Choo Keong for misusing their CEC party positions to convene a DAP Melaka Combined Branches meeting in Malacca on 31st May 1998, where allegations and attacks were made against national and state party leaders, which have undermined party morale, created confusion and caused disharmony and disunity among members.

The conduct of the three CEC leaders have caused a crisis in Malacca State DAP, as the Malacca DAP State Chairman, Sdr. Sim Tong Him also tendered his resignation as Malacca State Chairman to bear full responsibility for what happened at the combined branches meeting between DAP Melaka members and the three CEC leaders.

Sdr. Sim tendered his resignation at the emergency Melaka DAP State Committee meeting after it had unanimously adopted a three-point resolution against the three CEC leaders.  Sim felt he had to bear full responsibility for the outcome of the meeting which had caused division and disunity in Malacca DAP because of  misunderstanding, unhappiness  and  doubts among state and branch leaders.  Sdr. Sim also told the Malacca State Committee that he hoped that his resignation would cause the three CEC leaders to realise the damage to the Party and leaders with such visits and to stop such actions.

The Malacca State Committee however rejected Sdr. Sim�s resignation as it felt very strongly that Sdr. Sim had done no wrong, and if anyone was wrong, it was the three CEC leaders who had caused so much dissension and unhappiness among members in Malacca.

In unanimously rejecting Sdr. Sim�s resignation as Malacca State DAP Chairman, the Malacca DAP State Committee also unanimously decided to collectively resign with Sdr. Sim Tong Him to  express solidarity if he insists on resigning as Chairman.  This resolution reads:

"That the State Committee unanimously rejects the resignation of Sdr. Sim Tong Him as Melaka State Chairman and urges him to reconsider and stay on.  There is no reason for Sdr. Sim to resign when he had not done anything wrong.  The State Committee resolves to express solidarity with Sdr. Sim Tong Him  by collectively resigning with Sdr. Sim Tong Him if he insists on resigning as Chairman. Sdr. Sim had resigned to assume full responsibility for the meeting of DAP Melaka members with three CEC leaders, namely Sdr. Wee Choo Keong, Sdr. Liew Ah Kim and Sdr. Fung Ket Wing which had caused our members� morale to be affected, party disharmony and confusion amongst members."

This has created a most unprecedented situation, where not only the Malacca State Chairman has tendered his resignation, the whole DAP Malacca State Committee has also given notice to resign collectively in solidarity with Sdr. Sim, creating a total vacuum for the DAP in Malacca.

I have this morning discussed with Sdr. Sim the question of his resignation as Malacca State Chairman to take responsibility for the combined branches meeting on 31st May.   I can understand the reasons why Sdr. Sim has tendered his resignation, in wanting to take responsibility for Malacca DAP being suddenly being plunged into dissension and disunity as a result of the combined branches meeting which he had summoned in good faith on the request of Sdr. Fung Ket Wing.

I fully agree with the Malacca State DAP that Sdr. Sim should not bear responsibility for the combined branches meeting on 31st May.

This is a completely unnecessary tempest for the DAP whether in Malacca or in other states, as all our energies should be focussed on propelling the national campaign for justice, freedom, democracy and good governance which had been launched as a result of the Lim Guan Eng case.

In this context, it is very sad that when DAP leaders and members were gathered at the Federal Hotel in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday  to defend the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and assembly in convening the "Gathering of Legal Eagles" in sympathy, support and solidarity with Lim Guan Eng, protesting against the high-handed and undemocratic police disruption of the meeting, three CEC leaders should be in Malacca at precisely the same time for the combined branches meeting which has resulted in such an unhappy situation in the party.

Be that as it may, Sdr. Sim fully agrees that we should not allow efforts and energies from being diverted from the national campaign for Lim Guan Eng, justice, freedom, democracy and good governance, and he has agreed to continue as  Malacca DAP State Chairman at least until the end of the campaign, although he feel very strongly that he must bear responsibility for what has happened.

During the period of the suspension of the suspension of Sdr Fung Ket Wing, the Deputy National Treasurer  Sdr. Fong Kui Lun will be the Acting National Treasurer.  The CEC last night also appointed  MP for Teluk Intan, M. Kulasegaran as Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

(4/6/98)


*Lim Kit Siang - Malaysian Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Democratic Action Party Secretary-General & Member of Parliament for Tanjong