S'gor DAP: Teng vs Teresa showdown imminent

With the Selangor DAP election due in nine days, the power struggle between the current leadership and its opponents is deepening.

Those in power now are accusing Selangor legislative assembly speaker Teng Chang Kim of leading a team of 'rebels' to seize power. Teng's so-called 'Justice Reform Group' includes sidelined Selangor DAP leaders and the supporters of former Klang municipal councillor Tee Boon Hock.

It is said that the group aims to capture at least eight of the 15 Selangor central committee (CC) seats to take full control of the state party leadership.

Teng has refuted this allegation, while other non-mainstream Selangor DAP leaders have also brushed off the claim as a tactic of the establishment to stigmatise them.

That the Selangor DAP is split into two camps is no secret. The establishment is made up of current chief Ean Yong Hian Wah ( right ), his deputy Tony Pua, secretary Lau Weng San, director of political education Lee Kee Hiong and publicity secretary Tiew Wai Keng, while the 'dissidents' include Teng and Sekinchan assemblyperson Ng Suee Lim.

Leading the fight for the incumbent faction is senior Selangor exco Teresa Kok.

While currently not holding any post in Selangor DAP, Kok is waiting in the wings to take over as Selangor DAP chief from Ean Yong, who is seen to be an uncolourful leader. 

A leader with the establishment faction told Malaysiakini that the Justice Reform Group (JRG) is just a "culmination of various political interests" without any vision.

"If they take over Selangor DAP, the consequences will be unimaginable," he added.

Besides Teng, the others in the JRG were identified as grassroots leaders T Kannan, senator S Ramakrishnan, former Kuala Langat municipal councillor Lim Soon Hong, Kajang municipal councillor Lee Ah Seng and Klang parliamentary liaison committee secretary Lee Fu Haw.

Teng ( left ), Ng and Kannan are incumbent Selangor DAP CC members.

Fu Haw is described as a "hardcore supporter" of Tee, who was sacked from the party for issuing a support letter for a project for his son's company.

Lim and Ah Seng are said to be seeking the opportunity to become state assembly candidates in the coming general election.

The JRG showed its strength in the recently held Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentary liaison committee election , where Kampung Tunku assemblyperson Lau Weng San was defeated by James Ooi.

It is also claimed that Kannan, working together with another state CC member M Batumalai, has mobilised Indians in the state party in their attack on the establishment.

Establishment sources analysed that if all seven 'rebel' leaders made it to the CC, they needed only one more CC member to take control of the Selangor DAP.

The JRG hopes to win over those without a clear factional tendency, such as Teratai assemblyperson Jenice Lee and Klang MP Charles Santiago.

Teng: I am not in any group

But Teng, who is also Sungai Pinang assemblyperson, denied the allegation in an SMS to Malaysiakini .

"I am not in the group. No further comment."

On the other hand, Ng ( right ) told Malaysiakini that the JRG was a label created against them by the establishment to describe the loose grouping of DAP personalities.

"The grassroots are unhappy with the current leadership and are trying to show their influence... but whether they can unite as one, and reform the established leadership, remains the question.

"There is a desire to change the leadership, but it is dependent on various other factors."

Ng said after the 2008 general election, DAP branches in Selangor grew fast, and many of the new members weren't agreeable to the "traditional paternalistic leadership".

"They want those with ability, not people who are factional."

'Unity team' to fight off offence

Selangor DAP now has 144 branches, and during its elections, each branch will send seven delegates to pick 15 state CC members. The newly-elected CC members will then vote on the top office bearers among themselves.

As the battle heats up, a Facebook account has been set up, attacking Teng without naming him, and accusing him of trying to grab the Selangor DAP leadership.

The establishment group has brought in political heavyweight Kok ( left ) - whose powerbase is in Kuala Lumpur - to lead its 'unity team' to fight off the JRG offence .

Kok, who has recently changed her DAP membership from Kuala Lumpur to Selangor, is both MP for Seputeh in Kuala Lumpur and state assembly representative in Kinrara, Selangor.

The incumbent group has called for party unity and for the status quo to remain given that the next general election is around the corner. It warns that any infighting would the hurt DAP's reputation and its chances in the next general election.

It is learned that the establishment team also considers novice politicians Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh, Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching, Puchong MP Gobind Singh, Teratai state assemblyperson Jenice Lee, Shah Alam City Councillor V Ganabatirau and Charles Santiago as their team members.

If the 'unity team' wins, Kok may become the new Selangor DAP chairperson.

Ronnie's 'do or die' situation

The coming Selangor DAP election will also be a case of "life or death" for Selangor exco and current CC member Ronnie Liu.

With his reputation also badly damaged in the Tee Boon Hock support letter issue, the current leadership has distanced itself from him, while the opposing JRG group has been on the attack.

If he loses in the election, there is big chance he will also lose his exco position. There is also speculation that Liu ( right ) may not contest at all.

But some analysts have different view. They say that although Liu's team lost badly in recent Klang DAP parliamentary liaison committee election, he still enjoys strong support throughout Selangor.

His low profile of late, they said, might be a sign that he is actively moving on the ground to shore up support.

Tee ( left ) also has high stakes in the Nov 28 election, for it could provide him a second life in the party.

If he is able to mobilise his extensive grassroots links to topple the current Selangor leadership, there will be enough pressure on the DAP central leadership to restore his party membership.