DAP vice-chairperson Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim's resignation from the party will not affect its attempts to win over Malay voters in next general election, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng says.

The issue also will not jeopardise the Chinese-dominant party in terms of shaping its multiracial image, Lim said in response to a question after announcing the George Town Festival 2012 at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur today.

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, simply replied "no" when asked whether there would be any impact on the DAP from Aziz's resignation.

He pointed out that the former president of reform movement Aliran, Ariffin Omar, who has been appointed senator from Penang to replace Aziz, is also a Malay.

Tunku Aziz, who had been a senator for Penang for a term, was not reappointed to his post when it expired on May 30.

He had told the media that he did not wish to be re-nominated after the party found his statement criticising the Bersih 3.0 protest on April 28 to be an embarrassment.

In an exclusive interview with MCA-owned The Star , Tunku Aziz said Lim had insulted him by offering him a new post on the state think-tank Penang Institute.

As such, Lim reiterated Penang Institute chief executive officer Zairil Khir Johari’s statement yesterday that Tunku Aziz did not wish to be renominated for another term as a senator.

He added that Zairil had already denied that the offer had anything to do with the senator’s post.