On the other hand, Kulasegaran’s two biggest rivals — cousins Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Nga Kor Ming — and their supporters, which now comprise nearly all the party’s elected representatives, made a clean sweep in the polls and cruised to an easy win.
Only one member of his faction, Jalong assemblyman and incumbent party treasurer Leong Mee Meng, made the 15th spot, when the polls results were announced at 7.15pm this evening.
Others in Kulasegaran’s camp like Pasir Pinji assemblyman and incumbent organising secretary Thomas Su Keong Siong; Pasir Berdamar assemblyman and incumbent state committee member Seah Leong Peng; and Cheong Chee Khing, also an incumbent state committee member; failed to make the cut, along with their leader.
Both the Ngeh-Nga cousins polled the top two highest numbers of votes of the 41 candidates in the contest when they each earned 620 and 621 votes respectively.
Kulasegaran missed the cut by two spots and was 17th with a vote tally of 395. Su, his right-hand man, made 16th place with 402, just 18 votes behind another ally Leong, who polled 420 votes to earn her the last spot on the committee.
A total of 972 state delegates from 1,228 turned up to cast their votes in today’s polls. Of the 972, 42 were spoilt votes.
The results further strengthen the cousin’s hold over DAP’s Perak chapter, once seen to be wracked by a leadership crisis involving the two warring factions between Ngeh-Nga and Kulasegaran.
It is also seen as a clear message to Kulasegaran and his men that, despite the uproar their faction had caused in recent months, party members are clearly still rallying behind the cousins.
The cousins have been repeatedly accused of being overzealous and dictatorial in their leadership methods, both in the party and when Pakatan Rakyat still helmed the Perak government.
Despite the results, however, the newly elected team of 15 state committee members agreed this evening to co-opt Kulasegaran as one of the five appointees on the state committee.
Following a short meeting after this evening’s announcement, Ngeh told a press conference that the new state committee had also decided to appoint Kulasegaran into one of the two vice-chairmen’s posts.
The other vice-chairman, also co-opted into the committee, was Sungkai assemblyman A. Sivanesan, who similarly failed to make the cut for the team of 15 during today’s polls.
Also co-opted were lawyer Leong Cheok Keng, former Bercham councillor Cheah Pou Hian, and Perak DAP Socialist Youth vice-chairman Alvin Lim Kean Siong.
“We have all, in full consensus, decided to give Kula a spot in the team because here, we practise team leadership. And we see that when a certain leader can do his party for the party, we will want him to be in with us on the team. There were no objections,” Ngeh said of Kulasegaran’s appointment to the committee.
He added that Kulasegaran, a national vice-chairman in DAP, was a senior party leader and was a great asset to the party.
“That is why we invited him to be a part of us, along with Sivanesan who also did not make the list,” he said.
Ngeh continued to play down talk of his ongoing spat with Kulasegaran, claiming instead that there were no factions in Perak DAP.
“Everyone in Perak DAP is in my camp, even Kulasegaran is on my team. The only differences we have are over some issues.
“That is why you still see us together. We must respect the delegates’ wishes,” he said.
It remains to be seen, however, if Kulasegaran will accept his appointment as vice-chairman.
When the results were announced this evening, Kulasegaran apparently told several press members that he was “shocked” and thought of resigning from politics altogether.
He also continued his tirade against the Ngeh-Nga faction, alleging that several unregistered branches had been allowed to cast their votes in today’s polls.
“This is very difficult for me. I believe this was one of the reasons behind my loss,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, the new Perak DAP state committee also announced the formation of six bureaus to aid its daily operations — medical service, voter registration, legal bureau, economic development, consumer affairs and social welfare.
