DAP has been labelled a party under the reign of the "Lim dynasty" - a term used by political rivals to jab at the father-son duo of party veteran Lim Kit Siang and secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who were said to have controlled the 56-year-old party for decades.

Guan Eng is expected to step down at the party's central executive committee (CEC) polls this June 20 as he ends his final term as secretary-general and relinquishes the post he held for 17 years. However, concerns arose if he will become a de facto leader while his successor will end up as a lame duck.

Such criticism was particularly hurled by vocal former DAP member Hew Kuan Yau, who last...