JOHOR BARU: A state DAP leader here has urged Lim Guan Eng, who is facing corruption charges, to relinquish his post as party chairman until he has cleared his name in court.

       Johor DAP committee member Dr Boo Cheng Hau said that it would be hard for the party to maintain its principles and core values and keep a good public image if its leaders are facing criminal charges in court.

       "In my humble opinion, our party mentor (Lim Kit Siang) should advise our party's national chairman (Guan Eng) to relinquish his post to avoid putting the party's values on trial for his own personal issues.

       "I believe a decisive resignation from his post is actually good for the image of the national chairman and the party.

       "DAP cannot condone Umno's ways of handling issues like this while we strive to be a world-class political party for a world-class Malaysia," he said in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday (March 23).

       The former Johor DAP chief, added that Lim could return to his post as the party's national chairman once he has cleared his name from any charges.

       "If he is proven innocent in court, he shall be welcomed back to recover his party post.

       "I believe the national chairman is a capable leader and would be able to make a comeback anytime if he is proven innocent in court," he said, citing former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's return as an example.

       "The best example of capable leadership would be like Tun Dr Mahathir who had resigned as prime minister in 2003 and yet made a comeback in 2018 at the age of 93," he said.

       He noted that the party's deputy national chairman Gobind Singh Deo should also not act as the counsel for Guan Eng in court to avoid conflict of interest.

       "The deputy national chairman should recuse himself from acting as his counsel in court to avoid any conflict of interest, especially when there is a need to replace the national chairman.

       "Or else, it would look as if the whole DAP is on trial to the general public. We must remember that it is the national chairman individually who is being charged with corruption without involving the whole party," said the former Skudai assemblyman.

       He added that DAP and Lim should abide by the standards of world-class leaders by temporarily relinquishing his post while facing the charges.

       "This would maintain the party’s credibility and public confidence.

       "Any leaders bogged by corruption charges or any scandals should take the initiative to resign from any public office to avoid sending a wrong signal on party values to the general public and affecting party’s standings in the next general elections.

       "Any leader who is affected by corruption charges and scandals should step down for his love for the party rather than using the rhetoric of “political persecution” to gain public sympathy," he said.