Media Statement by Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary-General in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 24 April 2014:
Sdr Tan Kok Wai Will Be DAP CEC By-election Director Whilst Sdr Chow Kon Yeow Will Be Penang By-Election Director For Bukit Gelugor Parliamentary Seat Vacated Following The Death Of DAP National Chairman, 8-term Member of Parliament and formerly 4-term state assembly man in Kedah and Penang, Sdr Karpal Singh.
Sdr Tan Kok Wai Will Be DAP CEC By-election Director whilst Sdr Chow Kon Yeow will be Penang By-Election Director for Bukit Gelugor Parliamentary seat vacated following the death of DAP National Chairman, 8-term Member of Parliament and formerly 4-term state assembly man in Kedah and Penang, Sdr Karpal Singh. Sdr Tan is the Acting DAP National Chair whilst Sdr Chow is the DAP Penang State Chair and Senior State EXCO member.
The Election Commission had announced May 12 as nomination day and May 25 as polling day for the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat. The DAP Penang state committee will be meeting this evening whilst the CEC meeting will be on 28 April in Kuala Lumpur to discuss election preparations. Candidature will be discussed by the CEC and decided by the DAP Candidature Committee headed by me and comprising Sdr Tan Kok Wai and Sdr
Lim Kit Siang.
No announcement will be made on candidature until 28 April. All leaders are requested to refrain from speaking to the press about the by-election to avoid distortion by the mainstream media. Until then, Sdr Tan, Sdr Chow and myself will be the spokesperson on the by-election preparations.
DAP has lost an upstanding and outstanding leader in Karpal Singh, the nation lost a brilliant legal mind and the rakyat a fearless “tiger” with an indomitable spirit who stood up for the poor, weak defenceless and dispossesed. Karpal will be sorely missed and we need to continue his life-long struggle for justice, integrity, freedom and democracy for a better Malaysia.
The by-election may be difficult for the DAP because it is unlikely that the party can repeat the huge majority of 41,778 votes won by Karpal in the 2013 general elections. After all who can match the irreplaceable Karpal? For this reason, nothing should be taken for granted and there must be a concerted effort to bring out the vote in Bukit Gelugor on 25 May 2014.
Lim Guan Eng
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民主行动党秘书长于2014年4月24日在吉隆坡发表的文告
随着民主行动党全国主席暨8届国会议员卡巴星的去世，武吉牛汝莪将进行补选。陈国伟同志将是民主行动党中央执行委员会补选全国总指挥，而曹观友同志则是槟城武吉牛汝莪国会议席补选的州总指挥。
随着民主行动党全国主席暨8届国会议员卡巴星的去世，武吉牛汝莪将进行补选。陈国伟同志将是民主行动党中央执行委员会补选全国总指挥，而曹观友同志则是槟城武吉牛汝莪国会议席补选的州总指挥。陈国伟同志是行动党全国代主席，而曹观友同志则是槟州行动党主席及槟州高级行政议员。
选举委员会已经宣布武吉牛汝莪国会议席将于5月12日提名及5月25日投票。槟州行动党州委将在今晚开会，而全国中央执行委员会则将会在4月28日在吉隆坡开会商讨补选筹备事宜。候选人将会在中央执行委员会中讨论，并由我所主持包括陈国伟同志及林吉祥同志在内的行动党候选人委员会决定。
在4月28日之前将不会有关于候选人的宣布。全体领袖受要求避免向媒体透露关于补选事宜，以免遭到主流媒体的扭曲。所有补选筹备相关事宜将只有陈国伟同志、曹观友同志及我本身作为发言人。
民主行动党失去了卡巴星这位正直又杰出的领袖，与此同时，国家与人民也痛失一个不屈不挠的法律奇才兼无畏无惧的“老虎”。他一生为穷人与弱势群体仗义执言，这种令人激赏的精神我们将深深缅怀。为此，我们必须为他毕生的坚持继续努力，为正义、廉洁、自由与民主而奋斗，以迈向更好的马来西亚。
这场补选无疑是民主行动党的一大挑战，因为要守住2013年卡巴星创下高达4万1千778张的多数票，会是一件不简单的任务。卡巴星是一个不可取代的领袖，接班者岂能不战战兢兢？有鉴于此，我们将更努力地捍卫武吉牛汝莪，在即将来临的525打一场艰辛地仗。
林冠英