It is never easy to step away from the pinnacle of power but Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow took that difficult step when he decided not to defend his post as state chairman in the DAP election.

It was big news in Penang because the state chairmanship is equated with the Chief Minister post and it meant that Chow is now one foot out of the door.

His party secretary-general Anthony Loke has assured him that this will not affect his tenure as Chief Minister.

It was another attempt to quash rumours that Chow could be replaced mid-term.

The two-term limit on the Chief Minister post meant that Chow had entered the “lame duck period” in the top job and the latest development prompted a journalist to conclude that, “the lame duck is as good as a dead duck”.

The mild-mannered Chow, although originally from Kuala Lumpur, has been a fixture in Penang politics since the 1990s and has held the state chairman for the past 25 years.

His party colleagues expressed shock and disappointment although a few of them came across as lacking sincerity.

There is speculation that Chow was pressured not to contest the election on Sept 22 or the “922 election” as it is known in the party.

The official reason is that he is making way for the new echelon to lead and defend the party in the next general election.

But it is public knowledge that Chow has been under a variety of pressure from politicians as well as businessmen aligned to his predecessor Lim Guan Eng.

There was even an attempt to oust him as Chief Minister in the run-up to last year’s state election.

Tensions between Chow and Guan Eng have become something of a source of entertainment for Penangites who say that Guan Eng is a fiercer opposition than the actual state opposition.

Chow was left marooned after last year’s state election when almost all of the party’s 19 election candidates were aligned to his predecessor whom some have dubbed “the emperor”.

As such, there were doubts that Chow could maintain his track record of securing the highest votes in the state party polls.

The DAP election system involves electing a 15-person line-up who then decides who among them will hold positions in the party.

“Chow probably wants to go off on a high. It will be embarrassing if he does not get the No 1 spot again. His main problem is that he is a one-man show who has failed to build his own base,” said a popular grassroots figure in DAP.

At the same time, a leadership renewal is unfolding in the party now that Loke is stepping into his second term as secretary-general.

Loke wants to re-energise the leadership at the state level, to bring in new blood that can connect with young voters.

This is particularly important in Penang where DAP wears the crown.

One of Penang’s most astute political observers, Jeff Ooi, saw it coming after what happened at the Pahang DAP convention last weekend when long-time state chief Datuk Leong Ngah Ngah made way for the 40-year-old Lee Chin Chen who is Bilut assemblyman and deputy speaker of the Pahang state assembly.

“There is obviously some heart-to-heart discussions going on behind the scenes. Anthony has to be bold because this is the final party election before the general election. It’s the golden opportunity to move ahead,” said Ooi, who is also a columnist with Sin Chew Daily.

According to Ooi, Loke will likely bust the myth that secretary-generals of DAP rarely last long if they are not from the powerful Lim family.

Lim Kit Siang held the post for about 30 years, his son Guan Eng 18 years and in between there was Kerk Kim Hock, a seat-warmer who only lasted a term.

Loke is a shrewd yet smooth operator and has been quietly consolidating his position as secretary-general.

He has brought a new leadership style to this once rather autocratic party. He is not confrontational, believes in engaging and has a good working relationship with the Prime Minister.

He also understands the ongoing tensions between the “yin sha” or English-speaking segment and the “hua sha,” that is the Mandarin-speaking group who make up 80 per cent of party.

The “hua sha” group include ultra Chinese who think the party is over-accommodating the party’s Malay politicians who cannot deliver Malay support and need Chinese votes to win.

This might explain why Betong MP Young Syefura Othman lost in the Pahang party polls but was appointed to the state committee.

The thing is that DAP has maxed out on Chinese support and with the shrinking Chinese population, its future lies in more Malay and Indian support.

It will take time to erase the anti-Malay image that came from decades of criticising Umno, the police and the civil service.

That is Loke’s biggest challenge in the coming years – to steer DAP as the champion of Chinese causes while reaching out to non-Chinese.

Chow said the top leadership tasked him with working out a succession plan when he was reappointed as Chief Minister. Does anyone believe he will have much say about who will take over?

In bowing out from the state polls, he gave a free pass to his nemesis Guan Eng to enable his team to dominate in the party polls and decide on the next state chief.

This will be the most electrifying state election in years.

Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying, 61, and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, 42, are on the shortlist although they will need to contest a state seat before claiming the post.

“Steven is popular, he will get votes from all around. Hui Ying has a powerful family behind her but those who don’t like her brother may not give to her,” said the grassroots figure.

But this is politics and the Chief Minister post may eventually go to the one whom the powerful figures in the party want rather than who the party members prefer.

Meanwhile, Chow will be lauded at the state convention for the sacrifice, praised for all he has done and perhaps even for things he has not done.

Will his remaining time on the 28th floor of Komtar be smooth-sailing and fruitful?

“There won’t be many peaceful nights. I think the other side will still give him nightmares,” said the above grassroots figure.