GEORGE TOWN, April 22 ― The Penang chapter of DAP has yet to shortlist candidates to contest the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary by-election triggered by the death of Karpal Singh, chairman Chow Kon Yeow said today.
The Penang DAP committee will only hold a meeting this Thursday to discuss the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary by-election, he said.
He also declined to say if Ramkarpal Singh Deo, the late Karpal's son, might be fielded to contest his father's federal seat.
"Ultimately, decisions on candidature for the seat will be decided by the central executive committee (CEC)," he said.
"For now, the state committee has not discussed this and if required by the CEC, we will provide a short list of candidates," he said.
The Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat was vacated after Karpal was killed in a road accident in the early hours of April 17.
Speculation is rife that Datuk Keramat state assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo, another of Karpal's sons, might be picked to contest the seat.
But deference to Karpal's staunch resistance towards DAP leaders holding two elected positions, with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng being the only exception, made this choice unlikely.
Yesterday, Karpal's biography author, Tim Donoghue, told online news portal, Malaysiakini, that Karpal had handpicked his third son, Ramkarpal, to contest in his seat if he had to give up the seat due to his conviction for sedition.
Karpal was convicted of sedition and fined RM4,000 but he was in the process of appealing against the sentence and decision.
Late last month, the Tiger of Jelutong had stepped down from his party national chairman post pending the appeal of his sedition conviction.
The Election Commission will meet this Thursday to finalise the date of the by-election.
"We will hold our state DAP meeting this Thursday after the EC's decision to make preparations on logistics and statistics on various state constituencies under Bukit Gelugor for the by-election," Chow said. The Malay Mail Online
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