KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Former Penang deputy chief minister II P. Ramasamy has hit back at DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, claiming the latter does not having the courage to go against those behind an alleged political purge.

News portal Malaysiakini reported Ramasamy saying yesterday that Loke was not sincere and had failed to look into the situation where six other candidates in Penang were also dropped in what he described as a political purge.

"Loke is not honest enough to admit that the dropping of the six candidates was a political purge initiated by the emperor and endorsed by the five-men national committee headed by him,” Ramasamy was quoted as saying, referring to the unnamed "emperor".

His response came after Loke said that he had no regrets about dropping Ramasamy as a candidate for the state election after claiming that the former party veteran took advantage of DAP for power and position.

Ramasamy, who was a three-term Perai assemblyman, also accused Loke of lacking the moral strength to raise issues concerning non-Malays.

"A person who lacks the basic decency and courage in articulating the rights of non-Malays has the temerity to talk about sincerity and party loyalty.

"In short, he doesn’t know the meaning of sincerity. Perhaps he has not been educated enough,” he said, adding that Loke is beholden to the emperor in DAP as he lacks the elementary guts to oppose his whims and fancies.

Meanwhile, The Malaysian Insight reported that Ramasamy has agreed to meet with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and explain the events that led to his resignation from DAP.

Describing Anwar as a friend, Ramasamy said he was prepared to explain the reason he quit the party.

"I will continue to support him as the prime minister. I will tell him what is wrong with DAP,” he was quoted by the news portal, referring to Anwar.

Yesterday, the former Perai assemblymen submitted his resignation as Taman Chai Leng chairman and as state deputy chairman to the party secretary-general Anthony Loke and to Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow.

Ramasamy also accused DAP national leaders of endorsing the "purge”, blaming an unnamed "maharaja” — Malay for "emperor" — as the source of the crises in Penang DAP. He also alleged that the DAP national leadership is beholden to this "maharaja”.