TELUK INTAN DAP has tonight finalised its candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election, naming Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, the political secretary to party supremo Lim Kit Siang, as its standard bearer for the parliamentary seat.
The decision was made after lengthy deliberation by a three-person committee comprising of Kit Siang, DAP acting chairperson Tan Kok Wai and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, party sources told Malaysiakinitonight.
An official announcement of Dyana’s (left) candidacy is expected to be made in Teluk Intan by Guan Eng tomorrow afternoon.
Dyana beat out former DAP election publicity chief Hew Kuan Yau for the candidacy, who is nicknamed ‘Superman’ for his fondness of wearing T-shirts bearing the superhero’s logo.
Hew, a firebrand public speaker, was initially touted as a possible candidate for the by-election while Dyana's name only emergedas another possible contender in recent days.
While Hew has been a controversial figure due to his penchant for foul words during ceramahs, Dyana, a political rookie, too found herself embroiled in controversy just days after her name was floated as a possible candidate against BN.
Bloggers aligned to BN had circulated photographs of a Filipina actress in bikini and passed it off as Dyana, questioning her modesty as a Muslim woman.
Calm handling of attack earns praise
However, her calm handling of the hatchet job earned her praise and strengthened her credentials to carry DAP’s banner in Teluk Intan.
For the party’s central leadership, Dyana is seen as a suitable candidate to shed DAP’s Chinese-centric image and help gain inroads in the Malay heartland.
Even though Teluk Intan is a Chinese-majority seat, it has a substantial Malay population. The constituency is comprised of 42 percent Chinese, 38 percent Malays and 19 percent Indians.
Dyana is also expected to reduce any possible hostility against DAP for its vociferous opposition in the recent hudud law controversy, seen as a divine obligation for many conservative Muslims.
If Dyana wins, she will become the third Malay Muslim MP from DAP, after Bayan Baru MP Zairil Khir Johari and Raub MP Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz.
In the context of regional politics, Dyana is seen as a compromise candidate to Hew, who is known as a staunch rival of Perak DAP chairperson Nga Kor Ming.
Dyana, who hails from Ipoh, had joined Perak DAP in 2012, but found herself sidelined in the state which is overseen by Nga and later moved to Johor to assist party supremo Kit Siang in Gelang Patah.
Hew pledges to campaign for Dyana
However, for the Perak DAP leadership, she is now seen as a better alternative to Hew, who does not mince his words and is confrontational against his opponents.
Shortly before the decision, Hew (left) in a Facebook posting had voiced support for Dyana if she were chosen over him to do battle in Teluk Intan.
“Dyana is Lim Kit Siang’s political secretary, and I, too, served as his political secretary before in 1997.
“We are brothers and sisters, I believe in the spirit of give and take, and if my leader (referring to Kit Siang) believes she has better chances of winning, I am more than willing to give way and promise to campaign for her,” he said.
BN deputy chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin is also expected to announce the coalition’s candidate tomorrow for the by election, which is widely speculated to be Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong (right).
The Teluk Intan parliamentary seat fell vacant after Seah Leong Peng passed away due to cancer on May 1.
Seah had won the seat with a 7,313 vote majority. He garnered 27,399 votes to Mah’s 20,086 votes in the 2013 general election. The sole Independent candidate only won 279 votes.
Nomination day for the Teluk Intan by-election is fixed for May 19 while polling day will take place on May 31.
The decision was made after lengthy deliberation by a three-person committee comprising of Kit Siang, DAP acting chairperson Tan Kok Wai and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, party sources told Malaysiakinitonight.An official announcement of Dyana’s (left) candidacy is expected to be made in Teluk Intan by Guan Eng tomorrow afternoon.
Dyana beat out former DAP election publicity chief Hew Kuan Yau for the candidacy, who is nicknamed ‘Superman’ for his fondness of wearing T-shirts bearing the superhero’s logo.
Hew, a firebrand public speaker, was initially touted as a possible candidate for the by-election while Dyana's name only emergedas another possible contender in recent days.
While Hew has been a controversial figure due to his penchant for foul words during ceramahs, Dyana, a political rookie, too found herself embroiled in controversy just days after her name was floated as a possible candidate against BN.Bloggers aligned to BN had circulated photographs of a Filipina actress in bikini and passed it off as Dyana, questioning her modesty as a Muslim woman.
Calm handling of attack earns praise
However, her calm handling of the hatchet job earned her praise and strengthened her credentials to carry DAP’s banner in Teluk Intan.
For the party’s central leadership, Dyana is seen as a suitable candidate to shed DAP’s Chinese-centric image and help gain inroads in the Malay heartland.Even though Teluk Intan is a Chinese-majority seat, it has a substantial Malay population. The constituency is comprised of 42 percent Chinese, 38 percent Malays and 19 percent Indians.
Dyana is also expected to reduce any possible hostility against DAP for its vociferous opposition in the recent hudud law controversy, seen as a divine obligation for many conservative Muslims.
If Dyana wins, she will become the third Malay Muslim MP from DAP, after Bayan Baru MP Zairil Khir Johari and Raub MP Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz.
In the context of regional politics, Dyana is seen as a compromise candidate to Hew, who is known as a staunch rival of Perak DAP chairperson Nga Kor Ming.
Dyana, who hails from Ipoh, had joined Perak DAP in 2012, but found herself sidelined in the state which is overseen by Nga and later moved to Johor to assist party supremo Kit Siang in Gelang Patah.
Hew pledges to campaign for Dyana
However, for the Perak DAP leadership, she is now seen as a better alternative to Hew, who does not mince his words and is confrontational against his opponents.
Shortly before the decision, Hew (left) in a Facebook posting had voiced support for Dyana if she were chosen over him to do battle in Teluk Intan.“Dyana is Lim Kit Siang’s political secretary, and I, too, served as his political secretary before in 1997.
“We are brothers and sisters, I believe in the spirit of give and take, and if my leader (referring to Kit Siang) believes she has better chances of winning, I am more than willing to give way and promise to campaign for her,” he said.
BN deputy chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin is also expected to announce the coalition’s candidate tomorrow for the by election, which is widely speculated to be Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong (right).The Teluk Intan parliamentary seat fell vacant after Seah Leong Peng passed away due to cancer on May 1.
Seah had won the seat with a 7,313 vote majority. He garnered 27,399 votes to Mah’s 20,086 votes in the 2013 general election. The sole Independent candidate only won 279 votes.
Nomination day for the Teluk Intan by-election is fixed for May 19 while polling day will take place on May 31.
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