Last Updated: 4:04pm, Oct 14, 2013

PETALING JAYA (Oct 14): Rule of man is replacing rule of law in DAP, says Melaka DAP chairman Goh Leong San, who resigned as state opposition leader last week.
"The rule of man has influenced the words and deeds of some DAP members; there are no mechanisms and regulations, instead, you can 'do as you please'," Goh said in an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily.

He said that if DAP does not improve and strengthen its mechanism, problems will erupt as the "mother of all problems is none other than the rule of man.

While the party has a constitution and a disciplinary committee, the mechanism has been obliterated by the rule of man, he said.

"The mechanism is only effective if you abide by the party constitution and the disciplinary committee.

"The power and duties of the disciplinary committee, state committee chairman and secretary-general is clearly stated in the party constitution. We do have a mechanism, but it has been expunged by rule of man," he added.

Goh stressed that the mechanism should be enforced by party members holding different positions, and not by one man alone.

He also slammed some leaders for allegedly hijacking the "change the government" popular will during the general election for their personal gains, resulting in a lot of disgruntlement after the election.

It is no secret that Goh and his predecessor, Sim Tong Him, have a feud with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. Their long-running antagonistic relationship can be traced back to the late 1990s when Lim was active in Melaka.

The faction led by Sim, the MP for Kota Melaka, dominated the state committee to the extent that Lim and his wife, Betty Chew Gek Heng, were voted out from the committee in 2005.

The tussle between the two camps erupted again during the May 5 general election when Lai Kuen Ban was chosen as the candidate for the Kota Laksamana state seat.  Sim, who disagreed with the arrangement, signed up as an independent candidate for the seat and only pulled out after the intervention of  party veteran Lim Kit Siang.

Last week, Lai and Melaka DAP publicity chief-cum-Ayer Keroh assembly member Khoo Poay Tiong criticised Goh for praising Melaka chief minister Datuk Idris Haron's leadership and fuelled another dispute between the two camps.

It ended with Goh's resignation as state opposition leader and DAP Bachang state assembly member Lim Jak Wong's resignation as the party whip in the state assembly.

'Set up education ombudsman'

Twenty-seven Chinese groups which participated in a seminar on the national education blueprint have urged the government to set up an education ombudsman commission to oversee the Education Ministry's efficiency and fairness in implementing policies, Sin Chew Daily reported.

The groups also looked forward to the formation of an education transformation committee to take the initiative in pushing forward and overseeing the transformation of national education.

Its ultimate goal, they said, is to improve the quality of education in this country.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall president Tan Yew Sing stressed that the participants hopes to bring together non-governmental organisations representing all races for the purpose.

He told a press conference that the 27 groups were seeking to gather the opinions of people on the ground and forward them to the government, before the establishment of the education ombudsman commission.

Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies deputy chief Zhan Yuan Duan said the education ombudsmen will be representing the public in overseeing the Education Ministry.  Hence they should be elected by the Parliament and report to the same legislative assembly.

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