Perak DAP has strayed from the party's multiracial objective, as pointed out by the party's parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, state DAP chairperson Nga Kor Ming has admitted.

"Lim was not wrong about Perak DAP," Nga said, responding to Lim's criticism at an event in Perak yesterday.

DAP contested seven parliamentary and 18 state seats, out of 24 parliamentary and 59 state seats in Perak during the last general election, but did not field any Malay candidate.

One parliamentary and three state seats were taken by Indian representatives and the rest were won by Chinese lawmakers.

Nga, who is also assistant national treasurer, said Perak DAP shares the vision of the party and Lim ( photo ), who is able to see what lies 30 years ahead and has called for the party's transformation.

If the party is complacent and refuses to change, then it will never outperform its achievement in the 2008 and 2013 general elections, Nga said.

"Lim is a political leader with foresight, but (he has to) take into account whether the party is able to keep pace with him," Nga told Malaysiakini yesterday.

"The party members do not fear changes, but they have doubts as to whether the party can achieve its aims," he said.

However, the Taiping MP did not deny that some party members perceived Lim's attempt to recruit Malay members as being done in haste and radical manner.

"A lot of our members come from villages, and they may not know any Malay friends to rope into the party," Nga explained.

They want to assist the party to achieve its objective, but just don't know how, he said.

Following the Low Yat Plaza brawl , Lim called for the party to redouble its energies and efforts to ensure that more Malays and Muslims join the ranks of the party.

Only then, the Gelang Patah MP said, DAP could become a more effective and representative vehicle.

"(This) is a serious political error, which is a challenge to Perak DAP to strive to correct and overcome in the shortest possible time as DAP must never lose sight of our larger multiracial objective," Lim, who is the MP for Gelang Patah, added.

Central committee made the final decisions

Nga then went on to defend Perak DAP’s decision not to field any Malay candidate in the last general election.

"This was to prevent the Malay voters, who perceived DAP badly as a result of Umno's propaganda, of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam, from looking at DAP as aiming for the post of menteri besar post, he said.

By not fielding any Malay candidate, Pakatan Rakyat allies would not regard DAP as wanting the top post, Nga added.

"Pakatan Rakyat has decided Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin of PAS would be the menteri besar if we take the state. We must not be seen as a party that will break our promises," he noted.

Nga said although Perak DAP recommended the candidates, it was the central committee that made the final decision.

The committee comprised the party's acting chairperson Tan Kok Wai, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Lim Kit Siang himself.

Nga also pointed out that Dyana Sofia Mohd Yusof ( photo ), the Malay candidate who contested in the Teluk Intan by-election, managed to secure 10 to 40 percent of the Malay votes in the Malay area.

By fielding Dyana Sofia as a candidate, he said, Perak DAP is steadfast in pursuing the party's  multiracial objective.

DAP has seven to eight percent Malay members nationwide, and this is not much different in Perak, he stressed.

"We have stepped up efforts to rope in more Malay members, and hope to achieve 30 percent Malay members in five years’ time.

"Perak DAP wishes to be a first state in achieving this," Nga added.

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