DAP has confirmed that it will contest in Ayer Hitam, Johor against current seat holder MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong in the next general election.

DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke said the party had nixed an earlier plan to let an Amanah candidate contest in Ayer Hitam under the DAP logo, after the rocket party failed to secure an additional state seat during negotiations.

"(We wanted to let an Amanah candidate contest) because Amanah had only two parliament seats (in Johor)

"(But) Amanah got 12 state seats which are considered as many, not a few. Because DAP did not get to add one more state seat, then we asked to take Ayer Hitam back.

"Today we can officially say that a DAP candidate will contest in Ayer Hitam," Loke said at a press conference in Ayer Hitam today.

DAP had gotten the MCA-held seat in exchange for Bersatu getting Tanjung Piai. In 2013, the seat was contested by PAS.

DAP is the most dominant opposition presence in Johor at the moment with four parliamentary seats and 13 state seats.

Loke said that due to its strong showing on the state level, the party believed it qualified to contest 15 state seats in the next election instead of 14.

Meanwhile, Loke challenged Wee to contest against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for the latter's seat in Bagan if he was so intent on duelling over the island's undersea tunnel.

"Today I challenge Wee, if he really thinks that the Penang government, especially Lim, is wrong, or abused power in the undersea tunnel, then Wee as MCA deputy president should challenge Lim in Bagan.

"If he is confident that Ayer Hitam is a safe seat, then Wee should leave this constituency and let any MCA candidate contest here because they can win," the Seremban MP said.