PETALING JAYA: A public spat between DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng and Penang DAP chief Steven Sim is likely to become more pronounced "but will not boil over" before the succession of Penang’s chief minister is decided, says a political analyst.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania said tensions between the two longstanding party rivals are expected to persist as the question of political succession gains prominence, with Sim among the leading candidates to become the next chief minister.
“The fight will become more pronounced before the new chief minister is announced,” Chin said. However, the dispute was unlikely to reach boiling point as no party election was imminent.
The current Penang chief minister, Chow Kon Yeow, has served two terms and is barred by law from serving another term leaving the post open when a fresh state assembly election is called.
Last week, Lim accused Sim of allowing people associated with him to launch personal attacks against Lim and his sister Lim Hui Ying, who is deputy minister of women, family and community development, amid their differences over the minimum wage and SME financing.
Lim singled out SME Corp Malaysia chairman Teng Chang Khim, accusing him of focusing on criticising DAP leaders rather than addressing issues affecting SMEs. Lim said Sim was entitled to disagree with him but should not allow such attacks to continue.
Earlier last week, Lim had criticised the government’s decision to extend the RM2,000 minimum wage to existing foreign workers and require employers and foreign employees to contribute 2% each to the EPF. He said the measures would raise costs for small and medium enterprises.
Two weeks ago, Sim, who is minister of entrepreneur development and cooperatives, had said the government had agreed to exempt smaller enterprises from further increases in minimum wage for the time being.
Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Awang Azman Pawi said Lim might be seeking to reassert his influence within DAP, although his motives were unclear.
He said Lim’s experience as the party’s adviser and former secretary-general remained an asset, but political influence increasingly depended on delivering practical policy solutions rather than seniority alone.
Awang Azman said Sim, as a serving minister, should demonstrate leadership through concrete results rather than through public confrontation.
He warned that personal attacks could undermine both leaders’ credibility and distract from substantive policy concerns. Allegations involving Sim’s associates should not automatically be attributed to the minister himself, he added.
“The public generally expects ministers to concentrate on governance, economic challenges and policy delivery rather than becoming embroiled in prolonged internal disputes,” he said.
Awang Azman said Lim’s criticism would carry greater weight if supported by economic evidence and practical alternatives, while Sim could show political maturity by addressing the policy concerns without personalising the dispute.