THE immediate blame-frenzy brought about by Malim Nawar assemblyman Keshwinder Singh's resignation from DAP last week, had fingers pointed in the general direction of Barisan Nasional.

Away from the media glare, however, party insiders have been linking this event with state DAP elections scheduled for December.

Over the last 10 years, the party has been kept together by the forceful leadership of Sitiawan-born lawyer, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, 49, the last lap in partnership with Nga Kor Ming, the state DAP secretary, who happens to be his cousin.

Their authoritative and at times, overzealous methods, according to party insiders, have always been frowned upon, but party discipline prevented them from going to the media with their disappointment.

Now, with greater visibility and with Perak firmly on DAP's priority list, Ngeh and Nga and previously little known party elections have generated a wider interest.

While Chinese form the bulk of DAP's support base in Perak, some Indians, too, have been drawn to the party. Thus, this once-bastion of the iconic figure, P. Patto, has over the years attracted such talent like deputy state DAP chairman M. Kulasegaran.

A political event in December 2008 reinforced the feeling of alienation among segments of DAP supporters in Perak.

Kulasegaran finished top among 15 elected committee members, an election involving 306 delegates.

As customary the winners would elect the state chairman. Ngeh came in fifth, overshadowed by his more junior colleagues like Jalong assemblywoman Leong Mee Meng and Sungkai assemblyman A. Sivanesan.

Despite not being favoured by delegates, committee members re-elected Ngeh as state chairman.

This might or might not have been related to the racial composition of the 21-man panel, plus the appointed members -- 15 Chinese, five Indians and one Malay politician, but talk of Kulasegaran versus Ngeh never went away.

Ngeh insists there has never been any friction, telling the New Straits Times on Tuesday: "We just spoke a couple of minutes ago. These are rumours."

Beruas MP and Sitiawan assemblyman Ngeh said him not getting the highest number of votes should not be made an issue.

He has an interesting theory and alluded to his fluctuating ranking in the biennial elections.

Since the state DAP leadership names election candidates, those left out would campaign against him in an election year.

Thus, in 2006 when the party elections were held at a safe distance from the 2005 general election, Ngeh was ranked higher than his standing in the 2008 party polls.

Ngeh said he was not the first DAP leader to be punished by delegates.

In the December 2005 Malacca DAP elections, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and his wife Betty Chew, then state assemblyman for Kota Laksamana, did make it into the list of 15.

But unlike the case of Perak DAP in 2008, the winners elected the one who finished top, Goh Leong San, the Bandar Hilir assemblyman, state party chairman.

Kulasegaran, who is Ipoh Barat MP, maintained that he, too, enjoyed cordial ties with Ngeh.

"We might not agree on certain issues but we work together and in terms of policies, we are bound by party decisions.

"I do not think what is happening now is related to the party election or with Ngeh. It is a different matter."

In reality, according to party insiders, the 2008 state DAP election had split the party,

"Things only cooled down slightly when party supremo Lim Kit Siang stepped in and told everyone to unite," said a DAP MP.

The duo's strained relationship did not ease when Kulasegaran was not made Ipoh mayor last year, when Pakatan Rakyat ruled Perak.

DAP's politics are such the state party head has almost absolute powers in naming election candidates.

While Ngeh and Nga were fielded in state and parliamentary constituencies, Kulasegaran was nominated to contest only a parliamentary seat.

"It is obvious....the cousins Ngeh and Nga decided on the list," said a party insider.

The resentment against the cousins first became known in February 2008, just six days before the nomination day for the 12th general election.

Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan dropped a bombshell when she announced that she was not interested in defending the seat which she first won in 1999.

She attributed her decision to "development of internal party events in the Perak DAP over the last few years as well as currently" which made it rather impossible for her to continue serving.

It took no less than Kit Siang and Guan Eng to persuade her to change her mind.

Another example is Deputy Speaker Datuk Hee Yit Foong ,who in leaving DAP in February, said certain people had tried to reject and sideline her.

She cited Ngeh for saying during a meeting last year that she would not be given the opportunity to defend her seat in the next general election.

Other party leaders, including the elected representatives, are opting against venting their frustrations fearing reprisals.

"What choice do they have? If they go out and voice their dissatisfaction openly, they might be dropped in the next general election.

"The national DAP leaders will not step in as they will leave the list of candidates to the state leadership," said the source.

Further, Ngeh said last week that DAP would take legal action against Keshvinder and Hee for breaching the loyalty contracts they signed when they were selected as candidates in the 2008 general election.

Ngeh, enforcer of party discipline, is in fact supremely confident there will not be any more defections: "I have spoken to all our Perak assemblymen and they have assured me that they will stay." - The New Straits Times