After a historic victory in the 2006 Sarawak elections, DAP is set to repeat its old tactic this coming state polls by fielding a bevy of young professional women to contest against senior leaders of the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP).

According to See Hua Daily , DAP state chief Wong Ho Leng has said the party will have more female candidates this state elections after the successful performance of its two state assemblypersons over the last five years.

NONE The duo are Ting Tze Fui, 29 ( Meradong ) ( right ) and Violet Yong, 34 ( Pending ) ( below ), who won in the last state election.

Fielding new female candidates was seen as having contributed to the opposition’s big wins in the election. Ting and Yong were both young lawyers and presented a ‘fresher’ image compared to the SUPP incumbents.

Another young female DAP candidate, Kung Chin Chin, also only lost by a slim majority of 576 votes in Repok state seat.

sarawak nomination day 090506 violet yong The move is seen as being similar to the "female assassins" tactic adopted by former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi in the East Asian country’s 2005 general elections when he fielded young female candidates to wipe out those senior parliamentarians who were seen as having betrayed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Although Wong didn't revealed the names of the woman candidates that DAP intended to field, local media have speculated that at least two - beside Tan and Yong - will contest in next month’s state polls.

One of the names mentioned is Sibu DAP Women’s chief Alice Lau, 30, who will most probably challenge SUPP heavyweight and state second finance minister Wong Soon Koh, 68, for the Bawang Assan seat.

Political rookie Christina Chew, 27, is expected to contest in Batu Kawah, the only state seat in Kuching won by SUPP last elections.

'Special weapon'

Both grabbed the media limelight when they sat with other incumbent DAP elected representatives at recent press conferences, lending strength to talk about their impending entry into the coming state polls.

NONE It was reported that Wong had praised Lau ( second from left ) as being talented and humble despite being from a wealthy family.

Lau's father Lau Chen Kiong is an influential businessman in Sibu and is currently the chairperson of BN component party Pelawan Sarawak Progressive Development Party (SPDP).

Despite her father’s links with the ruling coalition, Lau junior joined DAP in 2009 and was once seen as a favourite candidate for the Sibu by-election last year before the opposition party picked Wong Ho Leng as the candidate and won the seat.

NONE Chew ( left ), a chemistry graduate, is currently the special assistant to Violet Yong. She was touted as being DAP’s "special weapon" in efforts to wrest Batu Kawah seat from the incumbent representative Tan Joo Phoi, 58.

Batu Kawah is the only state seat won by SUPP in the Kuching area last election, while the other four fell to DAP and PKR.

There is also the possibility that DAP would pick a women candidate for the Piasau state seat in Miri, which is currently held by SUPP president and state deputy chief minister George Chan, 74.

It is understood that Lim Su Kien, 37, has been short-listed as one of the potential candidates for the seat.

Lim, currently the Senadin branch chief, contested the Bintulu parliamentary seat in the last general elections.

Local media have also speculated that a young female lawyer who joined DAP recently may also contest the seat.