KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said Steven Sim’s new role in the party’s central leadership is not a demotion but a political challenge tied to Penang’s future.
Sim now holds the post of deputy secretary-general while also serving as Penang DAP chief and human resources minister.
In a Malaysiakini podcast, Loke painted the move as a strategic test of Sim’s ability to unite the party’s troubled Penang chapter.
“If he uses this platform well and successfully unites the party there, his future path will be smoother.
“However, if he fails to do so in the next two years, it could damage his political career," Loke said
Penang DAP has faced infighting since the 2023 state election, with factional disputes spilling into the 2024 internal polls.
Tensions peaked in March when former chairman Lim Guan Eng’s faction suffered heavy losses in the national leadership contest.
Lim barely retained his seat on the central executive committee and was later named to an advisory role.
Sim, who placed 11th in the CEC election, is now expected to lead Penang DAP into a period of reform and consolidation.
Loke said Sim must use the time to convince the sections of the party that believe the latter’s rise has been too easy.