DAP's Teluk Intan parliamentary candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud denied allegations that she was being exploited by the party.

Dyana was responding to a statement by Wanita UMNO Chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil who said she ‘sympathized’ with the 27-year-old lawyer for allowing herself to be made used by DAP.

“I am glad that I chose to join the DAP in 2011. “

“For if I had chosen the way of Shahrizat Jalil and UMNO, I would not be where I am today, aiming to enter Parliament as the representative for the people of Teluk Intan and if elected, to be the youngest MP in Parliament,’ she said in a statement today.

Dyana said her candidacy should not be belittled but lauded instead as it signifies a breakthrough for young women in politics.

“The statement by Shahrizat Jalil that my candidacy is simply a show by the DAP is indicative of the failure of Wanita UMNO in promoting its own women members into positions of leadership in its party and in government,” adding that such negative attitude by the BN women leadership, coupled with inflexible and patriarchal structure in UMNO has held back women in politics.

The announcement of Dyana as DAP’s candidate set tongues wagging as she is a young Malay woman contesting in a seat traditionally held by Chinese representative.

In addition, her mother Yammy Samat has been an Umno member since she was 18-years-old is politically active in the UMNO Wanita Perak division.

Dyana served as political-secretary to DAP advisor and Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang.

She helped his campaigning in Gelang Patah during GE13 and was later introduced as his aide during DAP's convention.

Rumours that Dyana would be contesting the seat began a few days ago, followed by an Internet smear campaign, circulating her personal particulars and a picture of a woman clad in bikini, purportedly herself, in the social media.

It was later clarified by netizens that the photo is actually of Filipina actress Pauleen Luna.

Dyana seemed to handle the criticism calmly and wrote in to several news portals her opinion on the matter.

The Ipoh-born lass will face BN candidate and Gerakan president, Datuk Mah Siew Keong in the by-election on May 31.

Teluk Intan is a Chinese majority area but it has a significant amount of Malay voters, with a breakdown of 42 percent Chinese, 38 percent Malay and 19 percent Indians.