KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — The internal fight in Johor DAP could affect his popularity in the party’s central leadership, said its chief Liew Chin Tong.

Malaysiakini reported that Liew admitted that the "decisions” he made can’t be based on popularity.

"We as politicians have to meet all sorts of challenges. There are times we are seen as popular and not popular.

"The point is that we should not use popularity as a guide to use to make decisions. We are making decisions for the larger good, based on conscience and also strategic considerations,” he said as reported by Malaysiakini.

Instead Liew said his immediate focus is on the Johor election and will leave it to the party members to choose their leaders.

"I’ll give every hour and every minute to try and win for DAP and win power in the state election.

"We will leave it to members to make their own decisions at the party election,” he said.

Liew’s rival Tan Hong Pin has confirmed that he plans to contest in the DAP polls to improve transparency in the candidature selection process.

Unlike most established parties in the country, the DAP election does not see leaders clashing head-to-head for specific positions.

Under DAP’s system, party members vote for their top 20 choices from a pool of candidates.

The elected top 20 will then hold a second round of voting among themselves to fill the respective positions in the party.

DAP members will cast their ballots in the party election to elect the central leadership on March 20, a week after the election.

Tan and his group had accused Liew of "purging” those who are not aligned with him from being nominated in the state election.

Yesterday it was announced that Tan’s group, comprising incumbent assemblymen Ng Yak Howe (Bentayan), Ee Chin Li (Tangkak), Cheo Yee How (Perling) and Yeo Tung Siong (Pekan Nanas) agreed to a compromise solution brokered by the party’s central leadership.

Under the arrangement struck on February 13, three of the five incumbents — Ng, Ee and Yeo, will be re-fielded in their respective seats for the Johor polls.

Two others — Tan and Cheo, will be dropped. Tan, however, will be fielded during the next general election in the parliamentary seat of Labis.