Now, Guan Eng blames Steven Sim over councillor appointments

2026-02-12 - 06:06

Lim Guan Eng claimed that Steven Sim rejected the views of grassroots members and DAP representatives in Bagan to renominate Ng Yee Siang for a third term as a Seberang Perai councillor. PETALING JAYA: Lim Guan Eng has shifted the blame for removing a Seberang Perai city councillor to Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim, saying the decision did not originate from chief minister Chow Kon Yeow. The DAP national adviser said he mentioned Chow previously only because the chief minister holds the legal authority under the Local Government Act 1976 to appoint or reject councillors. However, Lim said Ng told him that he harboured no dissatisfaction towards Chow, as he understood that the decision to drop his name was made by Sim on behalf of the Penang DAP state committee. “The chief minister merely received and ‘rubber-stamped’ the decision made by Sim to remove Ng’s name,” he said in a Facebook post today. Lim also claimed that the Bagan DAP parliamentary liaison committee had unanimously supported Ng’s reappointment, and that this position was conveyed in writing to Sim. “I did not write to the chief minister because this matter does not concern him,” the Bagan MP said. “Unfortunately, he (Sim) rejected the views of the grassroots members from all DAP branches and elected representatives within the Bagan parliamentary constituency who wanted to renominate Ng as a councillor. “Therefore, it is inaccurate, unfounded and misleading to suggest that the chief minister was determined to remove Ng.” FMT has reached out to Sim for comment. Yesterday, Chow said he was “shocked” that Lim had accused him of removing Ng from the list of councillors, describing the allegation as inaccurate and baseless. Chow said Penang DAP did not propose Ng for