Another renegade DAP leader canvasses support for ex-ally
A DAP leader is making his rounds in Pendang and Anak Bukit to actively campaign for the party's ex-partner PAS in preparation for the by-elections tomorrow.
Defying party orders, state assemblyperson for Triang (Pahang) Leong Ngah Ngah appears to be following in the footsteps of his fellow member Goh Kheng Huat, the member of Parliament for Nibong Tebal.
Goh, who has been reprimanded by the party for assisting another former partner, Keadilan, in a by-election in January, visited the Pendang and Anak Bukit constituencies last week.
However, unlike Goh, Leong has not held back from giving ceramah (public talks) since Monday in predominantly Chinese areas like Gunung Keriang and Alor Janggus in Anak Bukit, and Tokai in Pendang.
Explaining his stand, Leong said he was there as a state assembly representative from Pahang and not as a DAP member.
Cordial relationship
It is learnt that Goh and Leong are hoping to maintain a cordial relationship with PAS due to the predominantly Malay composition of their constituencies.
In his many ceramah, Leong urged voters to "reject Umno as PAS is better than Umno".
When contacted later, DAP disciplinary chairperson Chong Eng refused to comment on the matter.
DAP was a member of the opposition front, Barisan Alternatif, with Keadilan, PAS and PRM, but left last September citing irreconcilable differences with PAS over its aim to establish an Islamic state.
Since then, DAP has been going on a road show to reject both Umno's declaration that Malaysia is already an Islamic state and PAS' version of the Islamic state.
The recently passed Terengganu Syariah Criminal Offences (Hudud and Qisas) law in the PAS state has pushed DAP further from the opposition coalition.
Tomorrow, Pendang and Anak Bukit voters will decide who shall represent them Barisan Nasional (Umno) candidates or those from PAS.
Veteran Umno leader Othman Abdul, 51 is facing PAS newcomer Dr Mohd Hayati Othman, 45 in Pendang while Anak Bukit sees a tussle between teacher Zakaria Said, 58 representing the BN and engineer Amiruddin Hamzah, 40 from PAS.
Competition is hot as both seats were Umno's until arch-nemesis PAS wrested them away in the 1999 general election.
By-elections were called for the two constituencies following the death of their representative, PAS president and Opposition Leader Fadzil Mohd Noor, on June 23.
The combined electorate comprises of 77,427 Malay Malaysians, 7,266 Chinese Malaysians, 6,189 Thai Malaysians and 1,012 Indian Malaysians.
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