SHAH ALAM – New faces regardless of their gender should be given the opportunity to be nominated as candidates to contest the Kuala Kubu Baharu state assembly seat in the upcoming state by-election.
DAP leader Dr Ong Kian Ming said the gender of a candidate should not be the main factor in the selection of candidates.
"What is important is that the candidate must be a new face who can make strides and strengthen the influence and image of Pakatan Harapan (PH) in Kuala Kubu Baharu.
"This can help PH win back the state assembly seat in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency. This is more important," he told Sinar.
Previously, it was reported that Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) would not contest the Kuala Kubu Baharu seat in the upcoming by-election following the passing of its incumbent from DAP, Lee Kee Hiong.
BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said BN will give way to the incumbent party in the unity government to field a candidate even though the state assembly showed an increase in the number of Malay voters reaching 50 per cent.
In the Selangor state election in August last year, the Kuala Kubu Baharu seat witnessed a clash between two female candidates, namely the late Lee who won with a majority of 4,119 votes and Teoh Kien Hong from Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Lee first represented the constituency in 2013 when she defeated MCA's Ooi Hui Wen with a majority of 1,702 votes and retained the seat five years later.
Meanwhile, Ong said Umno and BN's decision not to claim the Kuala Kubu Baharu seat showed solid cooperation between PH and Umno within the framework of the Madani government.
The former Bangi MP said such cooperation would also increase PH's chances of retaining the seat.