Monday December 1, 2008

Newbies who did well in 12th GE also win posts in S'gor DAP

By A. LETCHUMANAN and ROYCE CHEAH

PETALING JAYA: Six newcomers in politics – all first-time contestants in the March 8 general election – did well in the Selangor DAP committee election by securing the highest number of votes.

They were Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (194 votes), Kampung Tunku state assemblyman Lau Weng San (174), Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh (168), Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah (160), Serdang assemblyman Teo Nie Ching (154) and Klang MP Charles Santiago (150).

Of the six, Lau had served as secretary while Yong had served as chairman of the committee prior to the election.

At yesterday’s election, Lau and Yong were returned to their positions with Pua winning the position of deputy chairman.

State gathering: Lim addressing delegates at the Selangor DAP’s 14th convention at Kelana Jaya yesterday

It is understood that Pua was voted above veteran and Sungai Pinang assemblyman, Teng Chang Khim, who had made a comeback into the committee.

Pua said the injection of new faces and fresh blood was good and hoped the new committee would work well together with unity in mind.

As for the other positions, Santiago and T. Kannan were voted as vice-chairmen, Hannah Yeoh as treasurer and Tee Boon Hock as organising secretary.

A total of 234 delegates out of 291 turned up. Earlier in his speech, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng hit out at the Barisan Nasional government saying that the RM7bil economic stimulus package was insignificant.

“China has announced a package twice its international reserves of US$2tril whereas Malaysia’s fiscal stimulus spending is only 2% of its international reserves.”

Lim proposed that RM50bil be spent instead of RM7bil and that the money be channelled as oil bonuses of RM6,000 a year to households earning less than RM6,000 a month, a progressive reduction of corporate tax from 25% to 17% and a reduction in gas and electricity prices.

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