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DAP to field 2 new faces for ‘tough’ Melaka polls

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The party will contest eight of the 28 seats, with allies PKR vying for 11 and Amanah nine.

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Free Malaysia Today
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (sitting, centre) announcing the party’s candidates for the Nov 20 Melaka state election. (DAP pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:
With the Melaka state election just a little over two weeks away, DAP has announced its candidates and the seats it will contest ahead of nominations on Monday.

Pakatan Harapan (PH), of which DAP is a component, had earlier announced it would contest all the 28 state seats, with PKR vying for 11, Amanah nine and DAP eight.

At a press conference at the party’s national headquarters here today, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng announced the eight candidates who are looking forward to helping PH take control of the state. They are:

  • Gadek – Saminathan Ganesan
  • Pengkalan Batu – Muhamad Danish Zainudin (newcomer).
  • Ayer Keroh – Kerk Chee Yee.
  • Kesidang – Allex Seah Shoo Chin.
  • Kota Laksamana – Low Chee Leong.
  • Duyong – Damian Yeo Shen Li
  • Bandar Hilir – Leng Chau Yen (newcomer).
  • Bemban – Tey Kok Kiew.

Saminathan, Kerk, Seah, Low and Yeo are incumbents in their constituencies, while Tey was formerly the Bandar Hilir assemblyman.

Danish, 25, and Leng, 37, will be contesting for the first time, with Danish running in the seat once filled by former DAP man Norhizam Hassan Baktee, one of the four assemblymen whose withdrawal of support for the chief minister saw the collapse of the state government.

Before the dissolution of the state assembly last month, DAP held all the seats it will be contesting on Nov 20, except for the one occupied by Norhizam.

Wong Fort Pin, who previously held the Bemban seat, isn’t a candidate this time around.

Lim said the election will be “very difficult because we cannot campaign directly”, in reference to the ban on ceramahs and house visits to limit the spread of Covid-19.

He was joined by some of the candidates as well as party stalwart Lim Kit Siang, national chairman Tan Kok Wai and Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo at the event.

Commenting on the candidates in a Facebook post, DAP organising secretary Loke Siew Fook said the party had made “bold decisions” in its lineup.

He said it was an inclusive group of candidates, as it featured various races – one Malay, one Indian and six Chinese – and a woman (newcomer Leng) and showed the party’s willingness to promote youth, with five of the eight younger than 40 and the oldest, Low, at just 51.

Loke also commended state DAP chairman Tey Kok Kiew for leaving his Bandar Hilir seat, now to be contested by Leng, to defend the “very challenging” Bemban seat, formerly held by Wong.

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