DAP Faction War May Cost Chow Kon Yeow His CM Seat, Analyst Warns
- Penang DAP is split into at least three factions, threatening Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow's hold on his position.
- Lim Guan Eng's camp reportedly wants Chow replaced, though no clear successor has been identified to outperform him.
- New party Bersama, led by Rafizi Ramli, poses a more credible threat to Pakatan Harapan in Penang than Gerakan or MCA.
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Infighting within Penang DAP could eventually pave the way for a change in the state’s chief minister post, according to political analyst Dr Oh Ei Sun.
The principal adviser at the Pacific Research Centre of Malaysia said internal dynamics within the party appear to have shifted significantly following last year’s DAP party election, resulting in the emergence of multiple factions within the Penang chapter.
He said that there are at least three camps in Penang DAP right now – Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow’s camp, national DAP advisor Lim Guan Eng’s camp, and Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim’s camp.
The apparent factional split, he said, has fuelled growing speculation over the political future of Chow as the chief minister.
“I think that by now — especially after the party election last year — Steven Sim is no longer in the same camp as Guan Eng, so there are at least three camps,” Oh told TRP via WhatsApp.
The apparent factional split, he said, has fuelled growing speculation over the political future of Chow as the chief minister.
According to Oh, it is an “open secret” within political circles that the camp aligned with Lim, who is also the former chief minister, would prefer to see Chow replaced.
However, he questioned whether DAP currently possesses a clear successor capable of outperforming Chow in administering the state.
“It remains to be seen who from DAP is to replace Kon Yeow, and how that person could be better than Kon Yeow in performance as chief minister,” he said.
Chow, who has led Penang since 2018 following Lim’s transition to federal politics, has often been viewed as representing a more moderate and technocratic leadership style compared to the combative political image associated with Guan Eng.
Despite recurring rumours surrounding his position, DAP has yet to indicate any formal leadership transition in Penang.
There have been rumours that Steven is the candidate for the chief minister post should DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH) retain their bastion in the north in the next state election.
Chow and Lim have frequently been at odds over several development issues in Penang, particularly the Batu Kawan Industrial Park 2 (BKIP2) project and the state’s quit rent tariff revisions.
Critics have also argued that Lim has, at times, appeared to behave more like an opposition leader in the Penang State Legislative Assembly, especially in his repeated public disagreements with Chow.
Oh also weighed in on the evolving opposition landscape in the state, particularly with the emergence of Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), the political party now led by former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.
While traditional opposition parties such as Gerakan and MCA continue to struggle for relevance in Penang, Oh believes Bersama may present a more credible challenge to Pakatan Harapan’s dominance.
I think Gerakan and MCA remain hopeless as they have their respective historical and political baggage… However, Bersama, as a party formed in Penang, may gain some seats.
Dr Oh Ei Sun.
Oh said that Bersama’s potential appeal lies largely in Rafizi’s continued popularity among urban and reformist-minded voters, a demographic that remains influential in Penang’s political landscape.
He added that Bersama may make a dent in DAP and PH compared to Gerakan or MCA.
“Rafizi is still beloved by reformist-minded voters who are aplenty in Penang,” he said.
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