INTERVIEW | Academic Abdul Aziz Bari has downplayed speculation that he will be a conduit for DAP to take the Perak menteri besar post if Pakatan Harapan wins in the 14th general election.

In an interview with Malaysiakini, Abdul Aziz said he was prepared to deal with the speculation, but stopped short of an outright denial.

Abdul Aziz has been tipped to stand in Tebing Tinggi, a relatively safe DAP state seat.

Though confirming that he has been working in the area, he said his fate ultimately rests with the party’s leadership.

"It's not confirmed, but I have made preparations. It will depend on the DAP central leadership to decide whether it happens or not," he said.

The likelihood of a Malay candidate being fielded in a relatively safe seat in Perak was said to be DAP’s way to avoid a repeat of 2008, when the party won most of the state seats but could not choose its menteri besar.

This was because the state constitution requires a Malay to be appointed as the menteri besar. The post eventually fell to PAS’ Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.

However, the then Pakatan Rakyat-led state government was short-lived, collapsing the following year with the defections of three state assemblypersons.

Abdul Aziz conceded that the speculation was only natural, as DAP had in the last two general elections controlled most of the opposition seats in the Perak state assembly.

At present, DAP has 18 seats, PKR five and Amanah one, while PAS has four in the 59-member state assembly. BN controls 31.

"People are free to talk or speculate, but I would like to point out that similar speculation was made when I first joined DAP, that I was supposedly DAP's menteri besar candidate for Selangor,” he said.

Abdul Aziz had contested in Selangor under a PKR ticket in the last general election. He joined DAP in 2015, saying that he was offered more space to operate.

Matter of perception

He insisted, however, that the issue of menteri besar should not be discussed at this point of time out of respect for DAP's partners.

Previously, Bersatu had urged DAP not to field a Malay candidate in Perak, as it could be seen as a statement of intent from the latter to take the menteri besar post, which may spook more conservative Malay voters.

When asked about DAP's standing within the Malay community, Abdul Aziz conceded that there was a perception problem, but said the party was working to fix it.

"It's not something that can happen in the blink of an eye, it takes time. The DAP has taken steps to field Malay candidates in suitable seats.

"It's not the first time DAP has fielded Malay candidates, but this time there are more, and many of the candidates are high-profile, it wasn't like in the past," he said.

Whether Abdul Aziz will be one of those candidates in Perak remains to be seen, as the DAP central leadership deliberates the requests of its state chapter as well as feedback from its Pakatan Harapan partners.