‘Will never withdraw’: DAP’s Lim Guan Eng rubbishes claims that he’s pulling out of party polls

KUALA LUMPUR: Ahead of Sunday’s (Mar 16) polls to elect the central leadership to the Democratic Action Party (DAP), current chairperson Lim Guan Eng has rubbished claims that he will withdraw from the election.

In a statement on his Facebook page on Saturday, Lim stressed that he has no intention of withdrawing from the party’s central executive committee (CEC) election.

The internal polls would see 70 candidates vying for 30 positions in the CEC.

Lim had cited multiple sources in his post – of what appears to be images of news clippings – that he described as “fabricated media reports” and “false information”.

“I have no idea where all these fabricated media reports and false information are coming from,” he wrote in Mandarin, as reported by news outlet Malay Mail.

“However, Guan Eng will never withdraw from the election. My future will be decided by DAP members.”

The Bagan Member of Parliament also expressed appreciation for party members’ support.

“Thank you to my party comrades for your concern. See you at the congress,” he wrote.

CNA had previously reported that the election on Sunday is a high-stakes one for DAP, which is a key component of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.

The election was originally pitched as a congress to elect a core leadership team that will pilot the party in the next general election that must be held before February 2028. 

But it has since turned into a survival test for Lim - who is son of firebrand politician Lim Kit Siang - and his family’s political dynasty.

The Lim family has long long dominated the DAP but is now challenged by a group of new leaders headed by Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who is the party’s secretary-general.

According to Malay Mail, the election coincides with the party’s 18th National Congress and will open with speeches from Lim Guan Eng and Loke before voting begins.

Some 4,203 delegates from 1,650 branches are eligible to participate in the vote for the CEC. The CEC members will then separately cast their vote for leadership positions with three-year terms.

Just last week, Lim stressed that his political future is to be decided by his own party members. His remarks came after Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – who is the president of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) – implied that Lim’s political era had ended and urged him to make way for new leadership.

Malay Mail reported that Zahid’s statement came after Lim criticised UMNO’s plan to hold a joint rally with Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia in solidarity with jailed former premier Najib Razak.