Guan Eng: Seah a resolute defender of the underdog

Malaysiakini
May 2, 2014

Deceased Teluk Intan MP Seah Leong Peng was a true party loyalist who had stood by the DAP in its darkest days since he became a member in 1995, said secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

Lim said Seah had stood by the DAP whether from crushing electoral reverses or from the mindless persecution and prosecution of party leaders by the BN “totalitarian” government.

“He was an idealist and a fighter, who refused to bow down to threats and a determined defender of the underdog in his 19 years with the party and 15 years as a wakil rakyat,” the Penang chief minister added.

Seah, 48, died of cancer yesterday after he was diagnosed of the sickness in February.

“When I last saw him in the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, he looked positive and determined to fight this latest battle,” Lim said.

“He spoke about future plans and we never expect to lose him so quickly. His death will not only be a personal loss but also a loss to the party, people and the nation,” Lim added.

Lim said Seah will be sorely missed and the DAP extends its deepest condolences to his wife and family.

He added that Seah, a loyal DAP grassroots activist joined the party on May 31, 1995 at its “lowest ebbs, after suffering one of the worst electoral defeats in the April general elections that year.

“A talented grassroots activist, Seah was instrumental in providing the machinery and organisational manpower that enabled DAP to achieve a shocking upset victory by DAP’s M Kulasegaran during the Teluk Intan by-election in May 1997,” Lim said.

“During that election, DAP had turned around a BN majority of 13,968 in the 1995 general election to a DAP majority of 2,916 in the 1997 by-election,” Lim added.

Seah subsequently stood for and won the Pasir Bedamar state seat in Teluk Intan town in the 1999 general election, which he defended successfully in 2004 and 2008 general elections.

He switched to and won the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat in the 2013 general election.

Lim was in Bangkok for a short break with his family when Seah passed away, but will be rushing back to attend his funeral in Teluk Intan at 10am tomorrow.