GEORGE TOWN: Under-fire senator Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim will be replaced by Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar, founder of human rights body Aliran, when Aziz's term ends.
The decision was made following a motion tabled by the House to appoint two senators from the state, yesterday.
Tunku Aziz, who is DAP vice-president, was recently criticised by the party for his negative views on the Bersih 3.0 rally that turned violent in Kuala Lumpur.
He will retire on May 30 with Ariffin taking over the day after.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said that 63-year-old Ariffin, an International Relations lecturer with Universiti Pertahanan Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, had been proposed by the DAP.
When asked why Tunku Aziz, who only served a single term from 2009, was being replaced, Lim said it was a "renewal" and a decision made by the party.
"Ariffin is a famous personality in Penang and he has a distinguished academic record. He is a PhD graduate of Southeast Asian History from the Australian National University."
He said the former Aliran president was a Malay history expert and wrote Bangsa Melayu in 1991, which underscored the concept of democracy and community in the Malay world.
Lim also announced that former Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) president Syed Shahir Syed Mahamud, 60, would succeed Datuk Mustafa Kamal Mohd Yusoff, who had also served a term.
"Syed Shahir is a candidate proposed by Keadilan.
He was the president of the MTUC from 2005 to 2011.
He has been very active in workers' union issues for more than 38 years, and has represented the country at various forums and conferences over the years."