An analyst says Lim Hui Ying and V Sivakumar’s appointment to the party’s central executive committee is intended to heal rifts and boost Indian representation.
00:00DAP's decision to appoint Lim Huiying and V Sivakumar to its Central Executive Committee appears to be an effort to close ranks and boost Indian representation in the party, says an analyst.
00:14James Shin of the University of Tasmania said both appointments had been expected, explaining that Sivakumar's selection reflected a push for ethnic diversity within the party.
00:24He said Sivakumar, a long-time DAP grassroots leader, was appointed to help strengthen Indian representation within the party.
00:33Shin said Huiying's appointment, meanwhile, signals a mending of ties with the Lim family after earlier criticism of their perceived dominance in the party.
00:42He said the inclusion of both Huiying and her brother Guan Eng in the CEC serves as a peace offering to show the party is not looking to fight the family.
00:51Academy Nusantara's Azmi Hassan said Huiying's appointment may also be about allowing her to retain her position as Deputy Education Minister, adding that it would be hard to justify her place in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's cabinet otherwise.
01:06However, Azmi said Sivakumar's inclusion is harder to justify given that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had investigated the Human Resources Ministry during his tenure as minister, which carries a lingering stigma.
