"Houston, we have a problem!"
Trouble in brewing in DAP Penang, on the eve of their convention. It was said between supporters of DAP ‘warlords and godfathers’. The crack is widening, in a party where Chinese Chauvinists rule.
Penang DAP feud worsens
By SHARANJIT SINGH
GEORGE TOWN
sharanjit@nst.com.my
Karpal loyalist calls Ramasamy ‘blatant liar’ and warns of further revelations
R. S. N. Rayer, Seri Delima assemblyman
1 / 1THE feud between Penang DAP leaders has escalated with an assemblyman calling on Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy “a blatant liar” and warned that the latter should be prepared for “all hell to break loose” at the party convention this Sunday.
Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer said he would reveal all about who Ramasamy was and also disclose “how effective” the latter had been as an assemblyman and member of parliament.
“If it is a war he wants, tell him to brace for one. We will settle this at the state DAP convention this Sunday,” Rayer said.
The fiery politician also did not mince his words in rebuking Ramasamy over allegations that he (Rayer) was making a lot of noise just to “curry favour” with DAP chairman Karpal Singh.
Rayer said he made no apologies being a “Karpal loyalist” and would not tolerate anyone showing disrespect to the party stalwart.
“Unlike Ramasamy who only joined the party in 2007, I have been working with and supporting Karpal for the last 15 years.
“I know how to respect senior leaders because I too have been in the party for a long time,” he said.
An opposition-linked news portal yesterday quoted Ramasamy as blaming Rayer and DAP Bagan division deputy chairman A. Tanasekharan, who is also Bagan Dalam assemblyman, for kicking up a storm over the “godfathers” remark he had made.
Ramasamy was quoted as saying that the two leaders were stooping so low to attack him because they may need Karpal’s help (in the coming general election) as both of them do not have grassroots support.
“These YBs (Yang Berhormat) don’t do much constituency work, so they depend on senior leaders for support,” Ramasamy was quoted as saying.
However, Rayer dismissed such claims and instead blamed Ramasamy for being the one in need of help to regain his seats in the coming general election.
“If there is anybody who has not done any work, it is him. Otherwise, why are there demonstrations being held in his constituencies? It only goes to show that Ramasamy is the one who is not doing work as the state assemblyman in Prai and member of parliament for Batu Kawan,” Rayer said.
On Ramasamy’s denial that he had “begged” for the post of Penang Deputy Chief Minister II after the 2008 general election, Rayer said the DAP deputy secretary-general was a “blatant liar” for not admitting what had really happened.
Rayer said there were several witnesses who saw Ramasamy begging for the post and it happened at the first class ward where Karpal was admitted at that time.
Meanwhile, Karpal, when contacted, said Ramasamy had yet to get in touch with him, let alone apologise over the “godfathers” remark which had rocked the Penang DAP.
“He has not contacted me although he said he would. We will leave it at that for now,” he said yesterday.
The row between the DAP leaders began when Karpal said that the DAP should not have warlords who went around promising and announcing seats for their cronies ahead of the central executive committee’s decision.
Ramasamy responded by saying that while the DAP should not have warlords, there should also not be any “godfathers” in the party.
Read more: Penang DAP feud worsens – General – New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/penang-dap-feud-worsens-1.16878#ixzz1g8BsX1nw
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Ramasamy gets reprieve for a day
GEORGE TOWN: The focal point in the “anti-P. Ramasamy episode” will now shift to the state DAP convention tomorrow.
A scheduled emergency meeting last night to resolve a potential revolt against the state deputy chief minister and DAP deputy chairman had been cancelled.
The meeting was supposed to have been held at Komtar last night, chaired by party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. No reason was given.
Furious party members said Ramasamy is now in for a roasting at the state DAP convention.
Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer said it was good the meeting had been called off as “it now gives us an opportunity to thrash things out at the convention”.
Earlier in the day, Lim was forced to do some damage control and he managed to stop a gathering by 3,000 DAP members who had planned to protest at the state DAP headquarters in Jalan Talipon hree.
The gathering was called off following Lim’s intervention.
Rayer said he and Bagan Dalam assemblyman A. Thanasekaran received a call from Lim at 10am, advising them to cancel the gathering.
“We accepted the chief minister’s advice.”
He said Lim had also asked him not to make further comments on the spat involving Ramasamy — who has come under fire for his “godfathers in the party” remark, which has ruffled the feathers of party veteran Karpal Singh and his loyalists.
Ramasamy may find himself in deeper trouble as a complaint about his outburst has now reached the party’s disciplinary committee.
The complaint was filed by Tan Ah Huat, chairman of the DAP Kuah branch.
Meanwhile, a group calling itself Penang Indian Development Organisation (Pido) has blasted Lim for not defending his deputy.
Pido chairman M. Nyana Segaran said Lim did not bother to defend his deputy. “Maybe he feels that it is an Indian matter and it is better to let the Indians fight among themselves.
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However, the situation worsened.
It is believed that a threatening call was made to DAP ADUN for Seri Delima Sanisvara Nethaji Rayer from an unknown caller, claiming to be a supporter of Deputy Chief Minister Prof. Ramasamy. The threat is believed about the intention to raise the matter of ‘Warlord and Godfather’ during the DAP convention, which will uncover the practices of nepotism and favoritism in DAP.
Pro-Opposition Free Malaysia Today reported this:
Two DAP leaders get death threats
| December 10, 2011
Caller warns RSN Rayer and A Krishnan not to bring up embattled Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy’s name at the party’s state convention tomorrow
GEORGE TOWN: An assemblyman and a branch leader have received death threats for supporting the DAP’s Indian grassroots members’ uprising against Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy.
DAP’s Seri Delima assemblyman RS Nethaji Rayer has been receiving death threats repeatedly from the same unidentified caller since 9pm last night, while Datuk Keramat branch vice-chairman A Krishnan received the same threat at 11.20am today.
Rayer said he has identified the mobile number from which the death threats were made to him by a male caller speaking in Tamil.
“The caller told me not to talk about Ramasamy at the state convention if I wanted to see my family alive,” he told FMT.
Rayer has been vocal against the embattled Ramasamy who recently called DAP national chairman Karpal Singh a godfather.Krishnan said he received the death threat today while he was chatting with friends at coffee shop in Butterworth for going against Ramasamy.
“The caller told me in Tamil I will be finished if I spoke up against Ramasamy,” said Krishnan, who is also the state DAP Indian bureau vice-chairman.
Police reports
On Tuesday, Krishnan and several other party ethnic Indian grassroots leaders and members called on Ramasamy to make a public apology to Karpal over his ‘godfather’ remark.
Krishnan said the caller used vulgarities on him for teaming up with assemblymen RS Nethaji Rayer (Seri Delima) and A Tanasekharan (Bagan Dalam) to criticise Ramasamy,.
Both Rayer and Krishnan will lodged police reports at the Datuk Keramat police station this evening.
Batu Kawan MP and Prai assemblyman Ramasamy is under fire for his announcement in Tamil daily Makkal Osai on Nov 28 on the party’s Indian candidates for the 13th General Election.
Karpal, the Bukit Gelugor MP, rapped Ramasamy for acting like a warlord and the latter returned fire by calling the party to get rid of godfathers, in an apparent reference to Karpal.
Party grassroots are angry that Ramasamy, who joined the DAP only six months before the last general election in March, 2008, for his insolence.
They also felt that Ramasamy had gone overboard and usurped the power of the party’s highest decision making body, the central executive committee (CEC).
They called on Ramasamy to publicly apologise to Karpal and the party’s senior leaders. Ramasamy has thus far remained defiant and has not heeded the call.
The fiasco is set to take the central stage at the convention.
Also read:
Karpal hits out at DAP warlords
‘Apologise or hell will break loose’
‘Penang DAP should also be blamed for mud-slinging’
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It is believed that a Police report was lodged yesterday. North East Penang Police is said to be investigating the case.
It is very clear that within DAP, there is no freedom of expression.
That automatically solidify the much talked about the practice of DAP being undemocratic and certain families and cronies are building their ‘dynasty’ within the party. An example is the Emperor Lim dynasty, where DAP Adviser Lim Kit Siang has been calling the shots in the party since the 1960s. With the exception of the temporary interregnum period of the Secretary General under ADUN Durian Daun Kerk Kim Hock, DAP has been under the Lim Dynasty.
Another ‘dynasty’ within DAP is the Karpal Singh. As party Chairman, his son Gobind Singh Deo is playing a more important role in the party and elected representative.
There is a strong rumour about the planned demonstration would be held in front of Peral View Hotel where the DAP Convention were to be held tomorrow morning. It is believed supporters of Ramasamy would assemble to show of support and protest against Rayer and DAPP ADUN for Bagan Thanasegaran to apologize to the Deputy Chief Minister, for their media conference against the latter recently.
Obviously, trouble is brewing. There is a clear evidence that there is no democracy in DAP and those who are in power, is clinging on for their own selfish interests as well as their close inner circle. Probably this is certain quarters’ sinister agenda to ‘divide and rule’, so that the Indian ethnic within DAP continuously at arms against each other.
Let us watch what transpire tomorrow.
*Updated Sunday 11 December 2011 12oohrs
Deputy Chief Minister Prof P Ramasamy's supporters demonstrating outside the DAP Convention
0900hrs this morning, as the DAP Convention commenced in Pearl View Hotel, Seberang Perai about 120 supporters of Prof P Ramasamy assembled in front of the hotel with banners demanding:
1. DAP ADUN Rayer apologise to Prof Ramasamy
2. Thanasekaran is a non performing DAP ADUN
3. Rayer is traitor to the Indian community
4. Stating full support to Prof Ramasamy
The "thirteen million plus Ringgit" guy rambles.... 
