PETALING JAYA: Teresa Kok slammed Asia’s top debater Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman today, questioning the youth activist over his understanding of the intricacies of current politics.
“I do not share Syed Saddiq’s views. As a person from an NGO, he doesn’t fully understand the complexities of the issues and problems involved for a political party or a political leader,” the DAP leader told FMT when contacted.
Kok was responding to an earlier statement by Syed Saddiq that condemned DAP’s move to postpone its party elections, labelling it as “an attempt to bend the spirit of democracy to protect Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s political career.”
“I must say Syed Saddiq has taken a simple stand or view,” Kok said.
The Seputeh MP also reminded Syed Saddiq that it was not the first time DAP had postponed its party elections, but that it was not made an issue previously.
Kok said DAP was not on a “level playing field” in local politics, and therefore the party had to focus all their energies and resources on continuing their struggle against Barisan Nasional (BN).
“In this process, we have to make difficult but necessary decisions during challenging times.”
Yesterday, DAP announced that it would delay its party elections until after the next General Election.
DAP National Organising Secretary Anthony Loke explained that the current central executive committee’s term of office ran until Sept 29 this year, but it had the power to postpone the party congress for up to 18 months, under Clause VIII(1) of the Party Constitution, should the meeting fall within two years of the date that Parliament was dissolved.
The next General Election must be held by mid-2018 but speculation has been rife that a snap GE14 may be called by Prime Minister Najib Razak next year.