Teluk Intan by-election: As a mother, I support Dyana - Yammy

DAP’s Teluk Intan candidate, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, has the full support of her mother, Yammy Samat, to contest in the by-election on May 31.

In a report on Roketkini.com, the party's official mouthpiece, Yammy was quoted as saying that DAP's decision to name Dyana Sofya as a candidate, proves that the party believes in the principle of diversity for all.

"Naming Dyana as a candidate is the correct choice at a time when various allegations, such as DAP is pro-Chinese and anti-Malay, are being hurled at them... that doesn't seem to be true at all.

"I would also like to praise DAP's daring move to name a young candidate who is energetic and open-minded, to be placed in Parliament, to bring change, especially to the people of Teluk Intan," she said.

Yammy reportedly urged Teluk Intan voters, especially the older generation, to make a reasonable judgment before voting.

"As a mother, of course I want her to win. But everything depends on the voters.

"I hope the voters here (Teluk Intan), will make a good choice by giving an opportunity to the younger generation who are more competitive, for the good of Malaysia's new politics," she said.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, Mingguan Malaysia today reported that Yammy had opined that DAP will face a huge risk by naming her daughter as the candidate for the by-election.

Yammy reportedly said DAP risked losing voters' support by placing a Malay candidate in a Chinese majority area.

Her support, said Yammy, was always with her daughter, even though they were from different political parties.

"As a mother, I will support my daughter. I will campaign with her because she is my daughter, not for the party (DAP). I am an UMNO member and I won't quit the party," she said.

Dyana Sofya, who is Lim Kit Siang's political secretary, was named as DAP's candidate yesterday. She will face Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate and Gerakan president, Datuk Mah Siew Keong.

If she triumphs, Dyana Sofya will become the third Malay DAP MP in the current parliamentary session. The other two are Zairil Khir Johari (Bayan Baru) and Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz (Raub).

In the 13th General Election (GE13), DAP's Seah Leong Peng had won the Teluk Intan seat with a 7,313-vote majority, defeating Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong of the Barisan Nasional (BN) and K. Moralingam, an independent.

The Teluk Intan by-election is being held due to the death of Seah, 48, of cancer on May 1.

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.