Penang Malays demand seats from DAP
Party insiders said Malay members want the party to show it was serious in governing the state for all ethnic communities.
(Free Malaysia Today) – It’s time the DAP fielded four to five Malay candidates in Penang in the coming general election, argued the party’s ethnic Malay members.
They said the party’s electoral policy should be implemented in line with growing Malay support for the party.
They want the DAP to set aside at least one federal and four state seats for them or alternatively two federal and three state seats.
Sources said the party’s Malay support has increased to 30% currently from 8% during the pre-2008 period.
By fielding Malay candidates, they argued that DAP would avoid being ridiculed unjustly by Umno that the party was ignoring, sidelining and neglecting Penang Malays.
“Our candidatures will quash such campaigns,” they said. “DAP should either get those seats from within its current allotment of seven federal and 19 state seats, or bargain them from the six federal and 21 state seats allotted to PKR and PAS.”
PKR contested four federal and 16 state seats, while PAS contested the remaining two parliamentary and five state seats in 2008 general election.
Party insiders said Malay members wanted the DAP to show it was serious in governing Penang for all ethnic communities.
The Malay grassroots’ argument was that the party cannot afford to allow Malay representation to come only from PKR or PAS because it would be suicidal in the long run.
“DAP should be true to its Malaysian Malaysia concept,” said the insiders, summing up the sentiments of Malay members.
Review electoral arrangement
In the last general election, the DAP did not field any Malay candidates in Penang.
Of late, the DAP leadership has indicated that the party would field Malay candidates, but did not mention the figures.
Among the current 26 DAP elected representatives from Penang, two MPs and four assemblymen are ethnic Indians while the rest are ethnic Chinese.
