New Selangor DAP chairperson Ong Chee Keng will be making a fresh attempt at working out the differences between several groups in the division following the resignation of his predecessor Ronnie Liu yesterday.

Ong said he and several members of the Selangor committee will be visiting state assemblypersons Teng Chang Khim (Sungai Pinang) and Ng Swee Lim (Sekinchan) as well as former state committee member T Kannan in the next few weeks.

"We will visit them. We will also be discussing these issues at the next state committee meeting in mid-May. We hope all of us can work together to (improve) Selangor DAP," he said during a telephone interview today.

Liu and state secretary Alex Yim had tendered their official resignations at a state committee meeting yesterday evening. Replacing Yim is Ean Yong Hian Wah, who is DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang's political secretary.

Ong, who had contested and lost at the Taiping parliamentary seat in Perak, was formerly treasurer of the Selangor division. His post is taken over by Khoo Thee Pok.

Although they have relinquished their posts, both Liu and Yim are to remain in the state committee.

The new chairperson denied that the resignations were signs of deepening splits in the division, saying that the rumblings that have emerged over Liu's leadership during the elections are not major issues.

"There are no big problems. We are all still in the same party," he said.

Poor showing

When contacted, Liu said his decision to quit is not due to any particular party rival but in response to the poor showing by Selangor DAP during the general election.

Liu had failed to win the Petaling Jaya Utara seat from MCA incumbent Chew Mei Fun on his second attempt. The seat had been a DAP bastion for years until it was lost by default when its candidate in 1995, Dr Kua Kia Soong, was disqualified on a technicality.

"After the poor showing, Selangor DAP has to take a new step. We have to be optimistic and hope the new leadership will bring Selangor to greater heights," he said.

Liu added that he will also continue to serve the party as its national publicity secretary.

On Yim's decision to resign, Liu said he tried to convince the former to remain in his post but to no avail. Yim was unreachable for comment.

The resignations have come at the end of a week of criticisms against Liu for allegedly fielding unsuitable candidates for various state seats.

Several party members have come out in the press to call for Liu to follow the example set by party secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock by quitting after losing the Kota Melaka seat to MCA.