The Malaysian Insight

DAP is expected to decide tonight on its candidate for the Balakong by-election in Selangor, which will be held on September 8.

According to a party source, a top level party committee headed by Lim Kit Siang will look into the shortlist of candidates and decide on the candidate.

The source said the committee was formed following uneasiness on the ground after several parachute candidates were touted as possible candidate.

The committee also consists of party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, chairman Tan Kok Wai, deputy-chairman Gobind Singh Deo and vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran.

It is learned that the committee has a shortlist of four potential candidates.

The source told The Malaysian Insight that the favourite seems to be Serdang DAP Youth chairman Wong Siew Ki.

“I believe there’s a good chance Wong will be selected,” the source said.

The source also said former broadcast journalist Yunna Tan seems to be out of the scene despite being touted earlier as the candidate for the seat.

He added that Tan’s rumoured candidacy elicited mixed response from the grassroots and party leaders.

Other names in the shortlist are Kajang municipal councillors Khoo Khim Han and Thiagarajah Rajagopal.

Meanwhile, Tan said whoever was selected should help the candidate and that there would be no frictions in the party.

“The enemy is not among us, and there will be no friction between newcomers and long-time members. We are all party members fighting for the same cause. We should be benign about this,” Tan said.

She said the shortlisted candidates have their own strengths and all of them want to serve the people.

Wong meanwhile said she doesn’t feel any pressure over the candidacy and will approach it as an opportunity for more exposure.

“Even though I don’t know her (Tan) or her style in dealing with issues, I believe we both just want to serve the people, and in that we are equals,” she said.

Wong also said she was close with the grassroots in Serdang as well as in Balakong.

The Balakong by-election was triggered by the death of incumbent Eddie Ng in a road accident on July 20.

The Election Commission has set nomination on August 18 and polling day on September 8, with a 21-day campaign period in between.

Ng won the Balakong seat in the 14th general election with a 35,538 majority, polling ahead of PAS’ 6,230 and BN’s 5,874.

MCA will be contesting in the by-election on behalf of Barisan Nasional but will be using its own logo instead of the BN’s dacing. – August 12, 2018.