DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Pakatan Rakyat's chances are best in Kelantan, followed by Selangor, Penang and lastly Kedah.

His assessment was based on his belief that BN's race rhetorics will have lesser impact on Kelantan and Selangor.

“They (BN) are playing the racial game. It is more difficult to play the racial game in Selangor,” he told reporters at a press conference after officiating the DAP Selangor Annual Convention this morning.

2012 selangor dap convention 041112 lim guan eng He added that situation is similar in Penang. When asked why would BN play the racial card in the ethnically mixed state, Lim said it is because he is the only non-Malay chief minister.

“The point is that I am the only ethnic-Chinese and non-Muslim chief minister in Malaysia so I am an easy target. It is very clear isn’t it?”

Although the race card would alienate ethnic-Chinese voters that form a significant voting bloc in Penang, Lim pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat still needs ethnic-Malay support to ensure “a good victory” in the state.

In his speech earlier, Lim presented numbers from what is purported to be leaked documents on BN’s preparations for election.

 

He said that BN’s readiness to face elections in non-Malay areas in Selangor is at 53 percent and “very ready” in Malay areas.

 

 “(It is) very high. Are we at that level or not? Let us have a frank assessment after this,” he said.

 

He added that even if BN is weak, DAP would not win if it is not ready. He told reporters later that there is still room for improvement in all states including Selangor.

 

“I would be lying if I say I am satisfied (with the preparations),” he said.

Tight race

In a speech preceding Lim’s opening address, DAP Selangor chairperson Teresa Kok listed out the achievements and challenges that the party faces in the state.

 

These include defending its marginal seats in Sekinchan and Teluk Datuk, where it won by a slim majority of 190 votes and 698 votes respectively during the 2008 general election.

 

2012 selangor dap convention 041112 teresa kok At the same time, she pointed out that BN too has marginal seats where DAP should focus its efforts in hopes of victory in the next general election, or help its allies do so.

 

This includes Kuala Kubu Baru and Sungai Pelek where DAP was defeated by 449 votes and 1,572 votes respectively, plus other eight other seats state assembly seats and three parliamentary seats where its allies were narrowly defeated.

 

“DAP is strong in non-Malay majority areas. In these eight BN seats, at least 15 percent of the voters are non-Malay.

 

“If we can garner at least 70 percent of their support, we can win all eight of these seats,” she said when urging members to propose ideas to help win support.

The eight include Sungai Ayer Tawar, Sabak Bernam and Sri Serdah, all of which were won with less than 700-votes.

Better cooperation

Speaking to reporters later, she said that in total, both Pakatan Rakyat and and BN has roughly eight to ten marginal seats each.

 

2012 selangor dap convention 041112 delegates 3 When asked if she was confident that its allies PKR and PAS can deliver the Malaysian Malay support needed to win the marginal seats, Kok says this depends on the level of cooperation between the three parties.

 

“In 2008, many of the areas that I have shown earlier have no cooperation (between Pakatan component parties). Even if there is, it is very minimal.

 

“Now that we have formed the government, it is vital that we forge closer ties between PAS, PKR and DAP to achieve a breakthrough in these seats,” she said.

 

The Seputeh MP added that this cooperation could now be seen in joint programs such as the various ceramah throughout the state.