DAP incumbents not nominated must accept party decision - Loke

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke hopes incumbents not re-nominated to defend their seats in the upcoming state elections will accept the party’s decision and make way for new faces to contest.

He said Penang DAP has been governing for three terms; therefore, new candidates were needed as part of the party’s transition plan.

“I hope once we finalise our candidates’ list, everyone will accept it including incumbents who will not return. Some incumbents will not be re-nominated again.

“This is not a question of dropping them, but a question of renewing with younger blood in the lineup,” he told reporters after attending Penang DAP’s fundraising dinner in George Town last night.

Also present were DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Loke, also the transport minister, said Penang DAP is expected to give its proposed candidates list in a few days, which would then be deliberated and decided by a five-person committee that includes him.

The Penang state assembly has 40 seats and before its dissolution late last month, DAP held 19, winning every seat it contested between 2013 and 2018.

On their plans to capture Malay votes, Loke said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been focusing on this with his recent working visits to Kedah and Penang.

“In the next few weeks, he will still spend more time touching base with the Malay community. The Malay community needed a lot of assurance that they were not losing anything just because DAP is in this coalition.

“The aim and spirit of the unity government is to govern this country in a stable and peaceful manner so that Malaysia can be developed and the people can live prosperous lives,” he added.

- Bernama

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