Marina recalls being 'spat on face', denies fear of Malay-majority seats

• UPDATED 2.48PM | Added Marina’s rejection of offers to join other parties.

DAP’s outgoing Skudai assemblyperson, Marina Ibrahim, has rejected claims that she is afraid of contesting in Malay-majority areas, recalling an incident in which she was once spat on.

“Do I also need to recount how a Chinese friend and I walked into Felda areas alone during the campaign, distributing flyers and meeting villagers?

“I am a Malay woman who once had a man spit on my face while campaigning. So do you think I really care (about contesting in Malay-majority areas)?” she added, saying that although she was reluctant to comment further on politics, she felt compelled to respond to what she described as false narratives being spread.

Marina said that in 2021, she was working on the ground in Layang-Layang, where she was initially expected to contest.

She said that, as a young and inexperienced political novice, she was deployed to a Malay-majority area against Umno’s Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who was then the state executive councillor for tourism, youth and sports.

“I was only moved to Skudai at the very last minute,” she explained.

Marina also pointed out that in the 2022 general election, DAP fielded a candidate in Mersing, a constituency where the population is 76 percent Malay.

“It was the first time we contested there, and although we lost, we did not lose our deposit. At that time, I was the campaign manager there.

“If the real intention was to expand the party in Malay-majority areas, why was there no continued effort after that? Grassroots members have raised this issue repeatedly.

“Today, where is the coordinator who was supposed to continue developing that seat?” she asked.

‘Nonsense’

Marina said her decision to step aside had nothing to do with claims that she was sulking or afraid of challenges, which she dismissed as nonsense.

“If you look closely at my writings over the years, I have always said that volunteers are the backbone of my work. They come from different races and religions.

“But when it comes to making important decisions, it is their views that I respect most, because they know the real reason behind my decisions.

“They have been with me through everything - the good and the bad, the wins and the losses, when people come and go. And that is something no political narrative can replace,” she added.

In the 2022 Johor state election, Marina contested the Skudai seat and secured a decisive victory with 26,359 votes, ahead of BN’s Lim Soon Hai, who garnered 12,416 votes, and Perikatan Nasional’s Khoo Keng Ek, who received 6,258 votes.

Tiram redeployment

On May 31, she announced her decision to retire from politics and confirmed she would not defend her Skudai seat in the next election.

Johor DAP chief Teo Nie Ching later revealed that the party had intended to redeploy Marina to another urban seat and had also considered nominating her to head a statutory body, regardless of the election outcome.

Marina has also not verified the authenticity of a letter dated May 30, allegedly addressed to Teo, which rejected a redeployment to the Tiram constituency and a statutory body appointment offer.

Party membership offers

On a separate matter, Marina dismissed speculations of a political comeback, asserting that she has turned down offers from three political parties ahead of the Johor polls.

“I rejected the offers respectfully. I will not return to politics.

“I believe there are other ways to serve communities, and it does not necessarily have to be in the capacity of a politician,” she told the New Straits Times today.

READ MORE: Marina 'controversy' risks damaging DAP's Johor prospects, reformist image - Liu

On June 1, Onn announced the dissolution of the state legislative assembly, paving the way for the 16th state election.

The Election Commission is expected to announce the dates for nomination, early voting, and polling soon.

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