TANJUNG Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu, a tireless environmental advocate, will call it a day in DAP when the current Parliament is dissolved.

Since winning the state seat in the 2008 election, Teh is known for regularly cycling to get around and opposing development projects that threaten the environment. 

His boldness in speaking out, even when it is against his colleagues in DAP, has earned him praise and respect from his constituents, and no doubt contributed to him retaining his seat in the 2013 general election.

Teh’s outspokenness has also earned him brickbats, and he said that he had, in recent years, made plans to leave DAP over his frustration of being unable to influence the Penang state government to reform its environmental and political policies.

“I have been raising issues on development in Penang and the rights of transgendered people. I had also called for the chief minister’s tenure to be limited to two terms. These are the three major issues I have been championing,” Teh said in an interview with The Malaysian Insight.

“In the state legislative assembly, when I raised issues that might have been sensitive to the state government, my colleagues would try to defend the administration during the debates,” he said.

Teh’s unbending stance on the environment has ruffled feathers in the state government.

In November 2015, he supported a Barisan Nasional motion in the state assembly to subject land reclamation proposals to public hearings and detailed study on oceanic and environmental impacts.

When the motion was rejected, Teh was forced to apologise to DAP leaders.

While he had considered quitting the party before, it was last month’s landslide in Tanjung Bungah that pushed him to finally leave. The tragedy resulted in the death of 11 people and reignited debate over land-use policies.

“The landslide at the construction site on Lorong Lembah Permai 3 happened. I met some reporters and the subject came up again. I was asked to confirm if I was really leaving DAP.

“All these developments combined, have expedited my exit.”

Teh also said that the inclusion of Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Bersatu into the opposition Pakatan Harapan pact convinced him that the vision of the opposition coalition was no longer the same as his.

“It isn’t about Bersatu as a party. It was just a matter of principle. 

“I felt DAP, together with PKR and Amanah, were already on the right track. (Then) Bersatu came in, wanting to get to Putrajaya,” he said.

“What is Bersatu’s ideology? It is just about removing someone from office. What comes next? It doesn’t have a clear ideology, a clear direction for the nation,” he said.

Teh said Dr Mahathir, whom he blames for “many of the problems we face today” is merely using the opposition to advance his cause.

“He comes in, without making apologies, and now he leads the opposition. In the past, he didn’t care about the opposition, but now he is making use of the opposition.”

Teh said he will officially quit the party he has supported for 18 years after the current Parliament is dissolved.

The 59-year-old marine science graduate joined DAP in 1999, and used to help out at the party’s Penang office in Jalan Talipon: answering the phone, sweeping the floor and even cleaning the toilets during the years when voters shunned DAP  over its alliance with Islamic party PAS.

Today, DAP has the most seats in the Penang assembly – 19 out of 40 – and is the biggest opposition party in Parliament, with 36 MPs.

Teh said he had not decided what to do after leaving DAP, but did not dismiss the possibility of joining a small party to continue the fight for change.

“Right now, I am still officially a DAP rep. I will decide after I complete the term, and say bye-bye to DAP.

“For sure, I will not join BN, any party linked to BN, another PH party, or go independent,” he said, adding that he still believed in the opposition struggle.

The following are excerpts of Teh’s interview with The Malaysian Insight:

TMI: What made you enter politics and join DAP in 1999?

Teh: I believe in the two-party system. I thought it was possible for Malaysia to have that, too. We see that happening in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and other countries. I thought it would happen in Malaysia, where the power of the people would bring reform. 

But, at the time, PKR was not a very established as a party. When I went to DAP ceramah, I saw the party getting good response. It looked as if the wind of change was coming, but it didn’t. I felt it was right to join DAP to help in the struggle for change. 

The party looked like it needed help then. Nobody wanted to join DAP in 1999. In the general election that year, the party won only one state seat in Penang. Batu Lanchang, I think. If DAP had won big and took Penang, I would not have joined. It would not need new members like me.

But even then, I had always thought that I would leave DAP one day, when the party had grown strong. It is strong, so, now I leave.

TMI: When did you decide to quit?

Teh: At the Penang DAP convention in 2015, I was heavily criticised for what I had been trying to fight for. The convention was used as a platform to criticise me, as if to tell delegates not to vote for me.

It didn’t feel good. I thought it was not right for them to do that. From then onwards, I began to think about my position in the party. Last year, when there was talk about Penang calling a snap election, I had thought of leaving DAP then. But the snap polls did not happen, so I had to wait again for the right time. 

In June, I met a Guang Ming reporter and casually mentioned that I wanted to quit DAP. I said the day Parliament was dissolved would be the day I leave the party. The Chinese media reported my remarks. At the time, other media were not aware of it.

Then the landslide at the construction site on Lorong Lembah Permai 3 happened (on October 21). I met some reporters and the subject came up again. I was asked to confirm if I was really leaving DAP. All these developments, combined, have expedited my exit.

There are many people in the Lembah Permai area who are not happy.

There were comments by the state authorities that the construction site was on flat land. Ask any resident here whether the land is flat. They no longer know whether to laugh or cry. All that made me wish Parliament would be dissolved next month.

TMI: Is this just because your party didn’t listen to you?

Teh: There was also the restructuring of Pakatan Harapan, with Bersatu coming in. It isn’t about Bersatu as a party. It was just a matter of principle. 

I felt DAP, together with PKR and Amanah, were already on the right track. Bersatu came in, wanting to get to Putrajaya. What is Bersatu’s ideology? It is just about removing someone from office. What comes next? It doesn’t have a clear ideology, a clear direction for the nation. I heard some other veterans in DAP, those who have been members long before 2008, disagreeing (with Bersatu in PH), too. 

Dr Mahathir Mohamad was also a factor. He caused many of the problems we face today. He comes in, without making apologies; and now he leads the opposition. In the past, he didn’t care about the opposition, but now he is making use of the opposition.

A lot of issues have to do with the system. For a party that is not so young any more – a few decades old – the leadership would have changed several times, but we still don’t see that. So, there is not much reform.

Under the late Kerk Kim Hock, the tenure of DAP’s secretary-general was limited to three terms. A few years ago, the party constitution limited the tenure of state chairmen to three terms too. But there is no such limit for the national chairman.

Now, PH pledges to limit the tenure of the prime minister to two terms should it come into power. The same principle should also apply to the CM and menteri besar posts, right?

When there is a term limit, the leaders will work hard, do their best to achieve their goals and deliver their promises to the people within the time given to them. In a sense, it would be good for the people, too. Now, the time is unlimited. People can choose not to give way, and the next generation of leaders are not groomed to ensure continuity. – November 1, 2017.