ACRIMONIOUS INTERNAL POLITICS
Despite this process, internal politics within the DAP in Penang have been acrimonious of late. There has been a behind-the-scenes struggle for influence between DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng, who served as chief minister from 2008 to 2018, and his successor as chief minister and long-serving DAP state chairman Chow Kon Yeow.
Lim’s leadership of Penang was dynamic, with an all-out drive to attract investment and galvanise the state’s economy. However, critics point to an authoritarian streak, with frequent run-ins with civil society groups and a predilection for large infrastructure projects.
Conversely, Chow’s management style is more consensual. That said, he has been often criticised as too low-profile and even passive.
The transition from Lim to Chow was largely uneventful, largely because the former went on serve as Finance Minister under Pakatan Harapan 1.0. However, following the Sheraton Move of February 2020, Lim has not held a substantive national position – even after the return of PH to federal power in late 2022.
He has remained active in Penang’s politics by virtue of his concurrent position as Member of Parliament for Bagan and state representative for Ayer Putih. Ironically, Lim’s criticisms of the Chow administration on water supply and managing the state’s finances have earned him the epithet of de facto leader of the opposition.
This conflict and Lim’s national party position fuelled speculation that Chow would not serve a second term. Tellingly, an endorsement by the DAP candidate selection committee for Chow in the run-up to the August 2023 state election was late in coming.
In the end, Chow won his seat and was nominated to serve a second term. While the DAP retained all its seats, there were uncharacteristic squabbles for candidacies and state cabinet positions that sapped Chow’s political capital.
Due to a 2018 amendment to the state constitution that bars any assemblyperson from seeking a third term, this is Chow’s final term. Nonetheless, he was expected to contest for the State Committee in last week’s polls. However, on Sep 4, Chow announced that he would not be running, effectively ending his 25-year leadership of the party in Penang.
In September, 1,452 party delegates from 296 branches cast their votes for 15 committee members out of a total of 31 candidates.
