Senior party leaders in DAP who stood only in parliamentary constituencies, found to their unpleasant surprise, some junior leaders being appointed Exco members with all the trappings that come with their positions. The most outstanding positions are that of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers of Penang, and Menteri Besar of Kedah, Perak (for a short period), Selangor and Kelantan. I wonder if some actually regretted not having stood for state constituencies as well, or whether they wanted to but not given the chance.
Anyway, the famous case of Hee who was sidelined in Perak and thus not given an official Camry, which led to the infamous opportunistic power grab by Najib is enough fodder for the next general election. Najib amply rewarded her with Deputy Speaker post and money she could only have dreamed of before. This case illustrated the high worth of opposition representatives to BN leaders who have the means to offer tempting and unethical proposals.
I am sure the reason why some Pakatan candidates stood for both parliamentary and state constituencies was because of the lack of suitable candidates. To have well known DAP leaders like Lim Guan Eng, Prof. Ramasamy, Ngeh Koo Ham, Nga Kor Ming and Teresa Kok, for example, was meant to improve the chances of winning, which they did. According to the latest statement by DAP chairman, Karpal Singh, with the exception of LGE, all other candidates will be offered one candidacy only, either parliamentary or state.
If given a choice, it can be quite a difficult one for any candidate who is ambitious. The past elections had shown the better chance of winning a state and therefore, a chance to be an Exco member. However, depending on whether one is optimistic or not, the next GE could see Pakatan winning, and end BN rule for the first time ever. Being a Pakatan MP is looking to be attractive because he or she stands a chance to be a Minister in the federal cabinet!
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