Gerakan Perak has distanced itself from a member reportedly calling their Teluk Intan win a "slap in the face" for MCA.

Gerakan Perak chairperson Lee Chee Pheng in a statement today condemned a report in the Chinese media that quoted an unnamed Gerakan member as "uncalled for and an incorrect assessment of the victory".

“I regret that this remark is being made and ask for it to be ignored. Gerakan and MCA must continue to work together as they both did in Teluk Intan because by working together, our chances of victory is much higher," said Lee.

"We appreciate the efforts of the MCA leadership in Perak and nationally, who worked tirelessly to ensure a BN victory," he added.

Mah ( right ) won the Teluk Intan by-election on Sunday with a slim majority 239 votes against DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud.

Voters there had been promised that Mah, who had been an MP representing the constituency from 1999 to 2008 and was the deputy agriculture minister, will be made a minister upon winning.

His party suffered heavily at the 2008 and 2013 general elections, with only one member of parliament remaining.

Mah’s victory brings this tally to two once he is sworn into office.

'Chance for Mah to prove himself'

Meanwhile Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar said Mah's win is an opportunity for him to prove his leadership skills.

“This is especially if he is brought into the government administration,” he said he said at press conference today.

Khairy added that this is also an opportunity for Gerakan to rise again and prove that it can serve the people, nothing that the party “may have gone through very difficult times”.

Additional reporting by Koh Jun Lin