Two DAP leaders came under fire from its national chairman Karpal Singh for accepting datukships from their respective state rulers, an action long deemed non-permissible to party members.
It may be back in 2008 that Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham accepted his datukship and two years later for Selangor legislative assembly speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim, but Karpal yesterday voiced his dissatisfaction and said such actions were non-tolerable.
"It is a long standing ruling for DAP. We constituted that in the 1990s. DAP state assemblymen and members of parliament are not to accept datukships and awards during their tenure in office.
"The two knew about it and yet they went ahead to receive the datukships. From now on, DAP will take action against members who do not follow this ruling."
On the action to be taken against those who accepted such datukships, Karpal replied: "The form of punishment will have to be decided by the party's disciplinary board after a hearing.
"There is no escaping. They will be punished."
Karpal pointed out that he himself did not accept any datukships or awards over the years.
"Neither did our senior leaders, such as Dr Chen Man Hin, Lim Kit Siang and even Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
"We could have easily had secured a datukship and also received many awards. The Penang government is with us... but we did not."
He was responding to an article by former party vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, who claimed that Karpal had issued an edict prohibiting DAP members from accepting state titles and awards from Malay rulers.
Karpal said Tunku Aziz had lied and demanded a retraction of his statement.
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