GEORGE TOWN, October 17 – DAP Chairman Lim Guan Eng has called upon Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to substantiate his allegations of an internal and external conspiracy to unseat him from his position as Penang’s Chief Minister. In response to the claims made by Chow, DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke Siew Fook publicly dismissed these allegations, asserting that there is no intention to replace Chow as Penang Chief Minister. Loke’s clear statement sought to quash the speculation that arose following Chow’s sudden and unexpected accusations of a plot against him.
To date, no concrete evidence has been presented to support these claims of a DAP-led scheme to unseat him. In Penang, there is no indication of party leaders or members engaging in any effort to overthrow Chow from his role as Chief Minister. Such unfounded allegations could sow confusion among the public and divert attention from the principles of competent, accountable, and transparent governance, commonly known as CAT governance. Lim emphasized that if Chow possesses any substantiating evidence of such a plot, he should present it to DAP Secretary-General Loke Siew Fook for internal party action.
Chow’s recent allegations of an attempted removal from office stemmed from an issue related to a state land sale. Lim, in his statement, asserted that these claims could distract from the state government’s commitment to conducting its affairs with competence, accountability, and transparency. Furthermore, Secretary-General Loke Siew Fook had already provided a “stern” response, confirming that there were no plans within the party to replace Chow as Chief Minister. Lim encouraged Chow to put an end to the rumors he initiated, emphasizing the absence of evidence that any DAP members are actively working to unseat him.
He underlined that neither leaders nor party members have been identified as participants in such an effort. Lim emphasized that if Chow can provide evidence to support his claims, he should forward it to Loke for internal party deliberation. Chow had recently appealed to those who had distanced themselves from him, alluding to an unmentioned “challenge” he must overcome to maintain his position as Chief Minister. He also suggested that individuals “inside and outside the party” were conspiring against him, though these comments were reported without context.
In response to these remarks, Chow explained that they were a result of recent “issues,” particularly those related to questions about the sale of state land to a private company by the Penang Development Corporation (PDC). Chow’s central message is one of unity within DAP, urging party members to support his leadership, given his nomination as the party’s choice for Chief Minister. Leading up to the state elections, there had been speculation regarding the Chief Minister’s tenure, but the party eventually decided to retain Chow in his role. Moreover, several incumbents aligned with Chow were reportedly omitted from contesting their state seats in the polls held last August.
