KUALA LUMPUR – In its latest 15th General Election (GE15) candidacy announcement, DAP has decided to drop its heavy-weight, Wong Tack and opted for the younger Young Syefura Othman to defend its hold on the Bentong parliamentary seat.
The change in tactics in fielding a Malay candidate in Bentong, said party vice-national chairman Teresa Kok, was to basically win the Malay support there.
"In Bentong, Malays make up 50.6% of the population, Chinese 38.9%, Indians 9.5%, others 1.8%. So it’s actually a mixed seat with Malays making up the biggest portion.
"So it’s justifiable and strategically correct to field a Malay female candidate. We want to promote more women to decision-making level positions for the nation and in Parliament,” said the incumbent Seputeh MP.
Young Syefura is however, not a new face in Bentong as she is also the incumbent Ketari assemblyman -- a state assembly seat within the Bentong parliamentary seat.
In GE14, Wong Tack won the Bentong seat after defeating former MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
According to DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, the party intends to make Young Syefura -- popularly known as Rara -- as its first female Malay MP.
"We want Rara (Young Syefura) to be DAP’s first female Malay MP. I put my trust in her because she has served in the Area for five years,” he said adding that Young Syefura's candidacy was also decided based on her winnability factor.
During the announcement, Loke also revealed three other candidates to contest in Pahang's parliamentary seats.
They are:
- Incumbent Raub MP, Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji (Lipis)
- Incumbent Tanah Rata assemblyman, Chiong Yoke Kong (Cameron Highlands)
- Incumbent Tras assemblyman, Chow Yu Hui (Raub)
On matters concerning its bid for Pahang's state assembly seats, DAP will contest in eight state seats there. The candidates however, will be revealed next week.