KUALA LUMPUR: DAP is prioritising the defence of its four incumbent seats in the Melaka election, acknowledging that cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) poses a challenge in the three other constituencies it is contesting.
Its secretary-general Anthony Loke said the party’s immediate objective was to retain the four seats it currently holds while pursuing victories in the remaining constituencies.
DAP is fielding seven candidates in the Nov 14 state election, comprising four incumbents and three newcomers.
“Our first target is to defend the four incumbent seats.
“As for the other three seats, we know there are challenges.
“But as a party contesting the election, of course we hope to win,” he told a press conference after officiating at the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territories DAP annual convention today.
Loke said the party was realistic about the difficulties it faced in the three seats it was seeking to capture.
He attributed the challenge partly to the consolidation of BN and PN votes, which could make the contests more difficult for DAP.
“Looking at previous election results, the combination of BN and PN votes certainly presents a challenge for us in those three seats,” he said.
Loke said DAP would make every effort to retain its incumbent constituencies while continuing to campaign in the other seats.
He said the party had carefully considered the challenges involved and would focus on strengthening its campaign.
Asked about DAP’s candidates, Loke said the party was banking on the performance and service records of its four incumbents.
He said most of its elected representatives were relatively young and deserved the opportunity to continue serving their constituencies.
“We are putting forward their track records and what they have done in their constituencies,” he said.
He said the party’s decision to retain its incumbents reflected its confidence in their performance during the previous term.
He added that DAP was also fielding three newcomers as part of its electoral line-up.
DAP’s four incumbent seats are Ayer Keroh (Kerk Chee Yee), Kesidang (Allex Seah Shoo Chin), Kota Laksamana (Low Chee Leong) and Bandar Hilir (Leng Chau Yen).
The three additional seats DAP is seeking to capture are Gadek, Duyong and Pengkalan Batu.
Its newcomers are K. Jegasilan in Gadek, Poo Long Suan in Duyong and Jason Tze-Xi Nathan in Pengkalan Batu.
The Election Commission has set Nov 14 as polling day for the Melaka state election, with early voting on Nov 10.