Firstly, the practice of DAP leaders vacating their safe seats and going to contest in marginal/dangerous seats to chart out new territory for the party is a well-known strategy.
Lim Kit Siang is obviously the legend/Goat in this respect, having vacated safe seats to contest in difficult seats and winning them (Ipoh Timor in 2004, Gelang Patah in 2013).
Others who have followed in his footsteps include Lim Guan Eng, who spearheaded the charge into Penang in 2008 and leaving his then comfort zone of Malacca; Liew Chin Tong who left his safe seat of Bukit Bendera (after one term) to contest and win the seat of Kluang in 2013 and Teo Nie Ching who left her safe seat of Serdang (after one term) to contest and win the seat of Kulai in 2013. Nga Kor Ming also vacated his safe seat of Taiping to contest and won the Teluk Intan seat in 2018.
(I was a beneficiary of Teo’s move to Johor as...