SEBERANG PERAI, Aug 10 — Former Penang deputy chief minister II Prof P. Ramasamy announced his decision to resign from DAP today.

The former Perai assemblyman who is not a candidate in this Saturday’s state election said he took a long time to arrive at a decision as it was difficult.

“This morning, I’ve submitted by 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,” he said in a press conference at his former service centre in Jalan Chain Ferry here this morning.

He said this does not mean he is against DAP or the Pakatan Harapan coalition.

“I am fully supportive of Chow and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. I am only doing this against certain leaders in DAP,” he said.

After Ramasamy announced his resignation, former Sabai assemblyman Kamache Doray Rajoo, DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) vice-chief K.Jason Raj and Taman Inderawasih member K.Krishnasamy also announced their resignation from the party.

Ramasamy said he hoped to function in a larger political environment without the constraints of being a member of a political party or organisation.

“I might be called sour grapes for quitting the party but I have no choice but to take a firm decision to chart my political course in the future,” he said.

He said it was the right of the party to drop him and five others as candidates for this state elections, but insisted that while it is understandable that senior leaders like him were dropped it was not so with the younger ones.

“I am 74 years old, if I’m dropped, I don’t mind but why drop young leaders like Yeoh Soon Hin, Soon Lip Chee and M.Satees?” he asked, adding that the three had served the party and state government well.

“This was not a rejuvenation nor a revitalisation exercise but a political purge to sideline those who were seen or imagined as supporters of incumbent chief minister Chow.

"He said Chow might be named as the chief minister but he had no support in the DAP’s state lineup, warning that he may now not hold the position for too long.

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”.

Ramasamy said there are still good leaders in DAP but the party is sliding into mediocrity and appeasement politics, and the DAP he joined in 2005 is no longer around as dissenters are no longer tolerated and treated as "troublemakers and mischief makers".

“Over the last few years or so, a lot of compromises have been made diluting the struggle of the party. Holding on to power and positions seems to be the pre-occupation of some party leaders,” he added.

Ramasamy said for the first time today he helped independent candidate David Marshel to campaign in the Perai state constituency, and he will fully support David and M.Satees in their campaign as independent candidates in Perai and Bagan Dalam respectively.

Satees and David both resigned from the party before nomination and contested as independent candidates in this state elections.