State polls: DAP to contest 15 seats in Selangor, makes way for BN in Dusun Tua

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP announced today that it will contest 15 of the 16 Selangor State Legislative Assembly seats that the party won in the 14th General Election (GE14), in the Selangor state election next month.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said the other seat won by the party in GE14, Dusun Tua, was handed over to Barisan Nasional (BN), after Pakatan Harapan (PH) decided to give way to a BN candidate to contest it in the election.

"We agreed to hand over (Dusun Tua) to BN on the condition that we have proposed and agreed to by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which is that if we (PH) win in Selangor, we will appoint a Speaker (Selangor State Assembly) from a DAP member who is not an assemblyman.

"DAP has agreed to propose Banting incumbent Lau Weng San who will not run in this election as a candidate for Speaker (of the Selangor State Assembly)," he said at a media conference to introduce the party's candidates for Selangor at the DAP headquarters here today.

He said the 15 seats DAP will contest in Selangor are Sekinchan, Kuala Kubu Baharu, Teratai, Balakong, Seri Kembangan, Kinrara, Subang Jaya, Bukit Gasing, Kampung Tunku, Bandar Utama, Bandar Baru Klang, Pandamaran, Kota Kemuning, Banting and Sungai Pelek.

Loke said DAP is fielding six new faces (in Selangor) this time, with most of the candidates under 50 years old and no candidate over 60 years old.

"This is a combination that we feel is good, we take all considerations into account, we have competent candidates who can integrate our machinery, move as a strong team.

"We thank the incumbents who were generous enough to give way to new faces brought by DAP," he said.

Six states - Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu - will go to the polls on Aug 12. Nomination is on July 29 and early voting on Aug 8.

Also to be held simultaneously is the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat by-election

-- BERNAMA