Penang Umno Youth has joined the fray, challenging Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to contest against state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow in a mixed seat in the coming general election.

NONE State Umno Youth chief Shaik Hussein Mydin ( right ) said the wing wanted Lim to focus on a state seat, instead of splitting his time between state and parliamentary constituencies.

Lim has been Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyperson since 2008.

"We want the CM to show that he is accepted by all ethnic groups. If he insists on Padang Kota, it shows that he is selfish," Shaik Hussein told a press conference today.

"As the CM, he must show that he is capable of contesting in a mixed seat and winning, or else he is just being racist if he insists on contesting in a Chinese majority seat.

"It is not like we are asking him to contest in a Malay majority seat like Penaga," he added, pointing to the seat is currently held by state opposition leader Azhar Ibrahim.

'Battle decides who will be the CM'

Shaik Hussein said the state Umno Youth will go all out to campaign for Teng if he and Lim contested in a mix-seat, and he called on Lim not to give any more excuses not to do so.

He said the battle would be very interesting - if it took place - as the contest would decide who will be the next chief minister of Penang.

"If Lim loses, let him rest a little as he has been working a lot and having headaches," Shaik Hussein said.

Lim and Teng have been embroiled in a controversy since Teng challenged Lim to take him on in GE13, which must be called by June 28.

Teng, the Gerakan secretary-general, said this in an exclusive interview with KiniTV, when he was asked if he were willing to take such a challenge.

Lim responded the next day by accepting the offer, saying he would meet Teng in Padang Kota, where the latter had been a state assemblyperson for three terms.

Lim also said the incumbent in Padang Kota, state DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow was willing to contest in Air Puteh, should Teng decide to contest the seat.

Teng too wants a mixed seat

Following's Lim's acceptance, Teng set two conditions before he accepting the offer: that he would decide which seat to contest and that the DAP secretary-general must contest in a state seat only.

Lim agreed to fight in a state seat and give up his Parliament seat if Teng would face off with him in Padang Kota.

Today, Teng renewed his insistence on choosing the seat, which he said would be a mixed seat for the duo to meet, but Lim said this meant Teng was "running away from Padang Kota at all costs".

"He dares not go back to his seat, since he has been flushed out from there. Why is he running away? You know why, because he has lost and is not confident of recapturing the seat," Lim told a press conference in Komtar.

Lim's 'sheer arrogance'

Meanwhile, state PPP chief M Logabalan said it was "sheer arroagance" for Lim to call for the challenge in the first place.

dr m loga bala mohan ppp penang chief 251108 03 "People should realise what his character is all about. Teng is not his opponent, nor is he Teng's. We should take politics to a new level," Logabalan ( left ) told Malaysiakini.

"It's not about who wins but about service to the people, what they really want. Challenging anyone in a personal manner, like what Lim did, is sheer arrogance," he added.

Sungai Puyu assemblyperson Phee Boon Poh castigated Teng and the BN for having a "racial perspective" in dealing with the matter.

"It is now up to Teng to say yes or no. He should not dilly-dally anymore, he must decide if he wants it (to contest against Lim)," Phee said when met today.

"It is racist of the BN to talk about choosing the seat based on the constituency's racial composition," he added.

"BN still talks about race and not about Malaysians. For BN, everything is still about race."