Ramasamy's departure from DAP: A question of sincerity, says Loke

JELEBU - DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook offered his perspective on the departure of former Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy from the party, characterising him as an individual whose sincerity had come into question, suggesting that he had leveraged the party solely to secure a post.

He said it was due to his action of announcing himself leaving the party after the Perai state seat incumbent was not nominated for the state election.

“All this time, he merely wanted to stay for the sake of a post? Because of a lack of a post, he immediately left the party, which I think shows the lack of sincerity in being with the party.

“If he loved the party he wouldn’t simply leave despite not becoming a candidate. We have other assemblymen and excos who were not nominated, but they continued to campaign on our stage,” he said when met campaigning at Kampung Chennah here today.

Ramasamy's departure did not come as a shock to Loke, who mentioned that Ramasamy had not provided any support or assistance throughout the campaign period.

While admitting his disappointment, Loke stressed that he had no intention of making an appeal for Ramasamy's return, as the latter's actions seemed to reflect a disconnection from the party's values.

"He made his choice to leave, and we respect that. The party will move forward undeterred, and we remain confident in our strength," Loke said.

Responding to queries regarding the potential impact of Ramasamy's departure, the Negeri Sembilan DAP chairman conveyed his confidence that the party would remain unaffected by the situation. He deemed it a foreseeable outcome.

Loke highlighted the contrast between those who demonstrated unwavering loyalty by continuing to campaign even when not nominated, and those who chose to leave.

Pressed on whether Ramasamy's departure could be construed as betrayal, Loke refrained from assigning labels but suggested that the public would ultimately form their opinions about Ramasamy's character.

Media reports had previously confirmed Ramasamy's resignation from all his positions within DAP, effectively signaling his departure from the party.