Let all hell break loose, says Ramasamy

(Malaysiakini) An embattled P Ramasamy has hit back at a party comrade who had accused him of “begging” for the post of Penang Deputy Chief Minister II after the 2008 general election.
Ramasamy (right) said the question of begging for the DCM post did not arise as the battle for more Indian representation in the state government had taken place earlier - in the DAP’s central executive committee (CEC) right after the polls.
He admitted visiting Karpal in  hospital at that juncture, with party colleague RSN Rayer, as the veteran lawyer had not attended the CEC meeting where the matter was discussed.
“When I talked to him about the DCM post for an Indian, I did not mean it for myself. I asked it for the Indian community, I did not have to beg for it”, he told Malaysiakini.
“Whether Karpal spoke to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng or not after that, I do not know,” added the Penang DAP deputy chief.
“I am in DAP not for position or power but because I want to fight for a cause. I left my job as a lecturer because I spoke my mind. Is DAP going to take action against me because I spoke my mind?” he queried.
‘Personality cult must be eradicated’
Ramasamy expressed “sadness and disappointment that Rayer had stooped so low as to condemn him for a general remark about godfathers, just to curry favour with Karpal, the Bukit Gelugor MP.
“It is exactly this kind of personality cult and politics of intimidation that must be eradicated from the DAP,” said Ramasamy, who is currently in Kuala Lumpur for an official meeting.
When told that Rayer (left) has vowed to raise the matter in an explosive manner at Sunday’s state DAP convention, Ramasamy replied firmly: “I will not bow to intimidation, I will stand firm. If all hell breaks loose in the state convention, as Rayer says it will, so be it. I will face it.”
The row between the leaders began when Karpal said that the DAP should not have warlords who would promise and announce seats for the general election for their cronies ahead of the central executive committee’s decision.
He said this in response to Tamil dailies that quoted Ramasamy as supposedly announcing seats for his supporters, to which Ramasamy replied that DAP too should not have “godfathers”.
This irked Rayer - a state committee member - and Bagan Dalam assemblyperson A Thanasekharan, who demanded that Ramasamy identifies the godfathers and retracts and apologise to Karpal for his controversial remark.
‘Being a godfather is not a bad thing’
However, Ramasamy warned that just as there were members upset with him about his remarks, there were also those who are “sympathetic to my cause”, and to his contributions to the Indian community in Penang.
Asked if he would apologise to Karpal and retract his statement, Ramasamy said the matter did not arise, and he denied saying anything wrong to upset the senior leader.
“I did not say that being a godfather is a bad thing. I did not mention anyone in particular when I mentioned the word ‘godfather’,” he said.
“Just as Karpal used the word ‘warlords’ generally (to mean those who promise seats for their cronies), so I used the word godfathers," he added.
Ramasamy blamed Rayer and Thanasekharan for kicking up a storm after the matter had settled down when Karpal said “godfathers were necessary”, and he had accepted it without response.
He urged the two leaders not to stoop so low, although they may need Karpal’s help as both leaders do not have grassroots support.
“These YBs do not do much constituency work and have to depend on senior leaders for support,” claimed Ramasamy.
It is understood that DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has called on the feuding leaders to douse the crisis before the party’s state meeting on Sunday.

Ramasamy said that following the advice of Kit Siang,  he has decided not to prolong the issue any longer and would cease responding to any further debate.

In an immediate response, Rayer lashed out at Ramasamy for lying over the DCM post.

"He is a liar. I have witnesses who heard him begging, they are Thanasekharan and my bodyguard S Magen. He cannot deny that he begged the post for himself. He is lying now," said Rayer, who called Malaysiakini to give his response.