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Penang polls best time to attack Najib, DAP tells allies
Published:  Jul 27, 2016 5:17 PM
Updated: 1:04 PM

DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke has told his Pakatan Harapan allies that the Penang state election will be the best time for them to attack BN and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The state polls will create momentum for the opposition movement to face the next general election, he said.

In an interview with its DAP mouthpiece Roketkini published today, Loke said the party understood the concern of its allies regarding the polls and has taken that into consideration.

"But, we want to assure our friends that the 1MDB issues and US Department of Justice's exposé will be a huge advantage to us.

"We want to enter the election campaign in an attack mood. This is the best time for us to attack BN and Najib.

"We see Najib as not daring to call for a general election now, as he is not brave enough to face the voters with the new issues that have become liabilities to him.

"So we want to take a proactive attitude in calling for the polls. This will place BN on the defensive, to Harapan's advantage," he added.

Beside creating political momentum, Loke said the main reason to call a state polls was to fight the prosecution of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

"We need to take action through a political approach to fight BN on what it is doing to Guan Eng," he explained.

The confidence of the coalition's supporters was hugely affected after the defeat in Sarawak state polls and the twin by-elections last month, he said.

"Our supporters and the rakyat in general look (at the opposition) and think there is no hope to defeat BN,” he said.

He added that the state polls was not about Guan Eng, but his issues have become a catalyst for them to have the state polls.

While they cannot influence the decision of the court, the snap polls would be a means to give the electorate a say in what DAP has described as Lim's "political victimisation".

Yesterday, PKR said that it would send a delegation to Penang to discuss the matter. Lim is scheduled to hold a press conference on the stalemate this afternoon.

PKR has 10 seats in Penang, and some pundits have predicted the possibility of the party losing in Malay-majority constituencies, should snap polls be called.

Amanah, which holds no state seats in Penang, has agreed on the snap polls.

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