DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (above) will defend his Air Putih state seat for the third term in the coming 14th national polls (GE14).

State DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow made the announcement today at the party's Tanjung Bungah service center. Lim, the caretaker chief minister, was also present.

Chow also announced the candidates for the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat, Tanjung Bungah and Pulau Tikus state seats. They are:

Wong, who is currently Lim's political secretary, is the incumbent assemblyperson for Air Itam and one-term state executive councillor for housing.

Prior to his state elected post, Wong was a computer science engineer before joining the legal field.

Wong will be facing Gerakan Youth deputy chief Andy Yong who has relocated to Penang where he is vocal on various issues at the national level.

He has frequently called on Umno to tone down its racial rhetoric in order to be more inclusive towards other races.

Zairil (below), who courted controversy by getting engaged to party comrade Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud last month, has been shifted to a state seat in what is seen as a strategic move.

The move is probably to pave his way to a state executive councillor's post if Pakatan Harapan retains Penang in GE14.

He will most likely go up against Gerakan's H'ng Chee Way.

With Zairil in a state seat, Harapan hopes to boost its Malay representation in the state executive council in case coalition partners Amanah, Bersatu and PKR, fail to get the much-needed votes from the community.

Tanjung Bungah is up for grabs with incumbent DAP assemblyperson Teh Yee Cheu quitting DAP to contest under a PSM ticket in Sungai Pinang.

The state seat falls under the Bukit Bendera parliamentary constituency.

Meanwhile, Chris Lee will contest the Pulau Tikus state seat vacated by one-term assemblyperson Yap Soo Huey who recently said she was quitting to further her studies in the US.

Lee is vocal in defending the state government and is a familiar face in solving problems in the constituency.

He will most likely face state Gerakan acting Youth chief Jason Loo who has questioned the state government on many issues from details on the sale of state land to the proposed undersea tunnel project.

'Nation at crossroads'

After the press conference Zairil, 35, conceded that Tanjung Bungah seat was a "new and more difficult challenge" as its constituents were very concerned about environmental issues.

Tanjung Bungah lies along the tourist belt of the island's northern post and its landscape has changed over years with more hillslope development even before the rule of BN prior to 2008.

Last year, a massive landslide occurred there killing 11 after which a state commission of inquiry was set-up to probe the incident.

"We have been transparent about these issues all the while," said Zairil, adding the state government was prepared to engage with all quarters including NGOs over issues.

"My office has always been open to service the local Tanjung Bungah people and while I will still be involved in policy-making, it will be more grassroots now," he said.

As for a multi-cornered fight for the seat, Zairil said he was not too perturbed about the matter and was prepared for it.

Meanwhile, Wong (below) said Bukit Bendera would be a tough challenge as it had four state seats under it but he promised to bring the rakyat's agenda to the House.

"I hope the people will know that Malaysia is at a crossroads now [...] we need to bring change and reforms," said Wong, who grew up at the Rifle Range people's housing project in Ayer Hitam.

"I have served in the state and I want to bring reform to Parliament for example over housing issues and we will continue to serve the people," said the Penang Chinese and Religious School Welfare Committee deputy chairperson.

Asked whether he had any immediate plans if he wins the seat, Wong replied: "We will figure it out".

Pulau Tikus candidate Lee said the seat held a unique society where the people were very locally-minded.

He assured voters that he would do his best to engage the community to address their issues and praised the former assemblyperson for making the constituency more accessible for the disabled.

"BN has no plans to resolve traffic congestion and while we have changed the traffic flow to one-way streets to ease traffic congestions, there are still complaints," the 36-year-old two-term Penang Island City Councillor.

"BN does not really check-and-balance, they will just oppose everything," added Lee who is also the state DAP headquarters publicity executive.

Lee said he has been overseeing Bukit Bendera since July 2013.

"Unlike my so-called opponent from Gerakan, who just drops by the area and does not understand the plight of the Pulau Tikus folks, I am born and bred in the constituency."