'Closed-door meeting shows DAP is undemocratic'

Umno supreme council member Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said DAP's powers rested solely in the hands of a small of group of leaders in the CEC, especially Lim Kit Siang and and his son Lim Guan Eng.

"DAP is the only democratic party in the world where a father and son team determines its top office-bearers," he said at Parliament yesterday.

Puad said the Lim dynasty continued to keep a tight grip on top posts after garnering the highest number of votes in the party polls last weekend.

"The two Lims and the other CEC members then met behind closed doors to decide who among them would hold the highest party posts. How is that democratic?"

Puad noted that despite garnering only the third highest number of votes in the CEC election, DAP stalwart Karpal Singh was retained as chairman.

"What is even more disturbing is the fact that the newly-appointed deputy chairman, Tan Kok Wai, only managed seventh place with 1,199 votes.

"This shows that the top two office-bearers did not receive the full support of the 2,500 delegates who had cast their ballots."

MIC Youth chief T. Mohan said DAP was not living up to its claims of a democratic party.

"It is clearly a party controlled by powerful families, including the Lims, and Karpal and his son Gobind Singh Deo. DAP should change its election system to prevent this from continuing," he said.

Sumber: NSTP

Umno wants 'winnable' candidates for election

Kelantan Umno will only recommend candidates with  a strong chance of winning in the general election.

Kelantan Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the concept of "winnable" candidates meant that Umno divisional leaders, including their chiefs, should not expect to be selected automatically into the candidates' list.

"It is not important whether they are ordinary people or hold big positions.

"The main focus is winnable candidates," Mustapa said after launching the Friends of Tok Pa Club for his online friends on Sunday.

The mainstream media have played their role but it is not enough.

"The younger generation are more interested in the social media.

"For the next election, it will play an important role.

"That is why we must use Twitter and Facebook to give information to our supporters beside fighting the lies spread by our foes.

"I hope my Facebook friends will play a bigger role in disseminating information and stopping the lies."Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said

Sumber:NSTP

LA: UMNO perlu menawan Kelantan semula.

DAP on damage control

RATTLED by criticisms of not living up to its self-proclaimed multiracial image, DAP went on the offensive yesterday with its secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, denying his party was anti-Malay.

He said DAP could not be labelled as such just because no Malay candidate had been elected to its central executive committee (CEC).

Guan Eng spent almost an hour refuting such criticisms following the disastrous showing by Malay candidates at the party polls over the weekend.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president N. Surendran expressed confidence that DAP Malay leaders would continue to support the party and its leadership despite not being elected into the CEC.

"While some were disappointed with the results, they were still committed to the party's struggle," he said.

Sumber:NSTP