Burning issues to smoulder at Penang DAP meet?
Some controversial questions about Pakatan Harapan's 11 months as the federal government are expected to be raised during the DAP's meetings with its members in Penang next Sunday.
Senior party figure P Ramasamy said the queries are to be "expected" as members would like to hear the response to these issues from the horse's mouth.
Some controversial questions about Pakatan Harapan's 11 months as the federal government are expected to be raised during the DAP's meetings with its members in Penang next Sunday.
Senior party figure P Ramasamy said the queries are to be "expected" as members would like to hear the response to these issues from the horse's mouth.
"It is good that party leaders are coming to meet the members at closed-door townhall-like meetings as there will be an avenue for them to explain certain burning issues directly to the members," Ramasamy told Malaysiakini.
"Members, like the general public, want answers to the many factors holding back some reforms in the country. They want real answers and not excuses," Ramasamy, who is Penang Deputy Chief Minister II, added.
While uncertain if he would be attending the meeting, Ramasamy himself has been vocal on several issues, most recently about qualified students failing to get places in matriculation studies.
While no disciplinary is likely to be taken against him, it is learnt that remarks considered "racially sensitive" by a DAP minister during the just concluded Rantau be-election campaign will be raised.
However, other state DAP leaders said they expect the sessions to be just like any other party meeting and do not see any war-like situation looming.
Penang DAP secretary Lim Hui Ying said the sessions to be held on April 27 in George Town and the next day on the mainland were "regular meetings".
"We had one in March and some other states had theirs," she said.
"We expect the members to ask questions, it is only natural, as we had been having similar sessions in the past," she added.
Penang exco member Zairil Khir Johari said the meeting would be a "normal event".
"Maybe there will be one or two controversial questions, but that's like every other DAP meeting," he said when contacted.
"It is for members only, just like every other internal programme. Honestly, I think it's a non-story," he quipped.
Bagan Dalam assemblyperson Satees Muniandy said the meeting was a routine closed-door session for the party to meet members and explain policies.
"The party had these kinds of sessions even before we won the federal government. The most recent was last month [...] we had leaders meet the members too," he revealed.
"For this session, I just want to get some updates on the policy changes we had promised in our GE14 manifesto so we can explain to the public when we face them," he said.
Seberang Perai Municipal councillor David Marshel said he will be raising the issues of red identity cards, secondary Tamil schools, the minimum wage for workers and government-linked company appointments.
As DAP is taking part in the Sandakan by-election, for which nomination day is set for April 27, it is uncertain if key DAP leaders will be attending Sunday's session in Penang.
Those slated to attend the session are Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran and Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Hannah Yeoh.
Other party leaders who will be taking questions from the members are senior leaders Lim Kit Siang, Tony Pua and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
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