A new leadership has taken over Selangor DAP after 14 state committee members held an emergency meeting last night.

Newly installed state DAP chairperson Ean Yong Hian Wah, 28, said the state committee unanimously decided to remove Ong Chee Keng as chairperson through a vote of no confidence.

He said when contacted that the emergency meeting was held because Ong had made an unilateral decision to expand a five-man election preparations committee with another five individuals without the endorsement of the state committee.

"An emergency meeting was then called yesterday to allow Ong ( right) to explain his action, but he did not turn up," said Ean Yong ( left ), a former political secretary of Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.

He added that Ong was still a committee member and welcomed his contribution in the 'effective, dynamic, positive and successful' new state leadership.

The emergency meeting was mooted by 13 of its 20 members on Jan 10, thus Ean Yong as then secretary of the committee, called for the emergency meeting.

When contacted, Ong said he would protest over the move to the party's central executive committee soon, but expected his grouses to be set aside.

Ong declined to elaborate but promised to tell all in a yet-to-be-finalised press conference tomorrow.

To a question, Ong, a practising lawyer, said the emergency meeting was held according to the party constitution.

Rumours abound

Meanwhile, rumours are rife that the removal of Ong was to make way for party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to lead the party in Selangor come the next general election.

The rationale, argues a commentary in Nanyang Siang Pau yesterday, was that Guan Eng has problems consolidating support in his home state of Malacca due to factionalism , thus forcing him to scout for suitable place to contest - his first outing since assuming the party's top post in 2004.

Denying this, Ean Yong said the emergency meeting was solely to address Ong's act of indiscretion.

Guan Eng, when asked by malaysiakini if he was considering shifting base to Selangor, replied with a flat 'No'.

This is the second major controversy for the DAP over the past week. On Monday, DAP stalwart and Bahau assemblyperson Lim Fui Ming resigned from the party amidst allegations of being 'sidelined and oppressed' by party colleagues.

Since then, Fui Ming has been the target of attacks by a slew of DAP leaders on damage control mode. The matter had also received wide publicity in the mainstream media which normally shun DAP-related news.