Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this
mk-logo
News
DAP must play bigger role in helping Harapan win Kedah

MP SPEAKS | Previously, I said that the 10 and five formula for Pakatan Harapan – to win an additional 10 percent of Malay and five percent of non-Malay votes – would allow Harapan to win a majority of parliament seats in Peninsular Malaysia and also win the state governments of Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Johor and to retain the state governments in Penang and Selangor.

Under this scenario, Harapan will win 18 out of 36 state seats in Kedah and BN will win the rest of the 18 seats. PAS would not win a single state seat in Kedah with the 10 and five formula but they would play the role of ‘spoiler’ in 14 out of the 18 state seats projected to be won by the BN. This means that BN will win 14 state seats with less than 50 percent of the popular vote in three-cornered fights.

For Harapan to win control of the Kedah state government, it requires a few additional hurdles to be crossed.

Firstly, Harapan, in the home state of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, must be able to capture seats in areas that are known to be BN strongholds including the two state seats - Ayer Hangat and Kuah, on the island of Langkawi, as well as the two state seats – Bukit Kayu Hitam and Jitra, in Kubang Pasu.

If for example, Harapan were to win the parliament seat of Langkawi and the two state seats on the island, a previously unthinkable scenario, this would be a definitive sign of the Malaysian electoral tsunami which would start from Kedah and sweep through the rest of Peninsular Malaysia to Johor.

Secondly, the DAP must be allowed to help Harapan create this Malaysian electoral tsunami in Kedah. In the 2013 general election, DAP only contested in two state seats and no parliament seats.

The DAP won both of its state seats – Derga in the Pokok Sena parliamentary constituency and Kota Darul Aman in the Alor Setar parliamentary constituency. Both of these seats are located in or near the Alor Setar area.

For DAP to help increase the support for Harapan, especially among the non-Malay voters, it must be given the opportunity to contest in seats in central, as well as southern Kedah.

In central Kedah, the DAP is asking to contest the state seat of Gurun in the parliament seat of Jerai, an ethnically mixed seat (56 percent Malay, 27 percent Chinese, 17 percent Indian), which was won by MCA in GE 2013 against a PKR candidate, with a 1,296 vote majority.

In southern Kedah, the DAP is asking to contest the state seat of Kulim, also an ethnically mixed seat (60 percent Malay, 23 percent Chinese and 17 percent Indian), which was won by MCA in GE 2013 against a PKR candidate, with a 643 vote majority.

If DAP does not contest in any seats in the parliament or state levels in central or southern Kedah, it would make it more difficult to mobilize our supporters to come out to support Harapan and to win control of the Kedah state legislature.

Thirdly and lastly, Harapan in Kedah must show that we are a united force that is more than capable of challenging BN in the state. The stronger Harapan is, the clearer will be the choice for voters. This will make it more likely for fence sitters and pro-opposition supporters to cast their vote for Harapan rather than wasting their vote on other parties which do not have any chances of winning power, either at the state or at the federal levels.


LIM KIT SIANG is parliamentarian for Gelang Patah.

ADS