DAP fielding Malay candidates has been expected - DPM





BAGAN DATUK, April 18 (Bernama) -- The decision of the DAP to field Malay candidates to contest State Assembly seats in Perak is something that has been expected, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the move to field Malay candidates to draw the Malay votes was because the DAP realised that the Malays would reject the chauvinistic party.

"Obviously by fielding a legal expert (from the DAP) but contesting by using the symbol of another party was a confirmation and their agenda is now exposed.

"The victim will be PPBM (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia), Amanah and PKR themselves because it is almost certain that the constituency contested by the DAP by fielding a Malay candidate aimed to find a leader who is hoped to lead the state government," he said at a media conference after attending a luncheon at Restoren Basha, here today.

Ahmad Zahid said this when commenting further after the DAP fielded Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari to contest in the State Assembly constituency of Tebing Tinggi which was announced by the incumbent for the constituency, Ong Boon Piow recently.

He had earlier expected the development and criticised the DAP which did not use the party symbol but instead used the PKR symbol.

Meanwhile, he said the residents of Teluk Intan could evaluate for themselves the services and development carried out by Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong throughout his tenure as a Member of Parliament.

He disclosed this when asked by reporters on the move by Perak DAP chairman, Nga Kor Ming who will contest in the Teluk Intan Parliamentary constituency to challenge Mah who won the seat in the 2014 general election (GE13).

"Whoever represents the DAP will be nomadic candidates in almost all general elections like the case of the Taiping Member of Parliament (Nga Kor Ming) who offered himself as the candidate for the Teluk Intan Parliamentary constituency.

"They know that Mah Siew Keong is a local and had rendered much services and brought development to the community, not only that, he was also the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities who had shown excellent performance," he said.

In GE14, Mah defeated the DAP candidate, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, with a majority of 238 votes.

Mah also contested in the same constituency in GE13 but lost to the DAP candidate, Seah Leong Peng, who obtained a majority of 7,313 votes.

-- BERNAMA