Don’t blindly attack Dyana Sofya, former editor tells Barisan Nasional cyber troopers

Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud (left) with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng when she was named the DAP candidate for the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat. A former editor says the fact that a young Malay woman is representing a Chinese-dominated opposition party is fascinating. – The Malaysian Insider pic, May 19, 2014.Barisan Nasional should spare some time to understand why young educated Malays are joining DAP instead of bashing its candidate for the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, said a former editor.

Datuk A. Kadir Jasin said instead of blaming others for their political woes, BN leaders should "look at themselves" and examine why young educated Malays preferred to join DAP.

"While the BN campaigners and their cyber troopers are having a field day maligning her, they should perhaps spare some time to understand why this sort of thing is happening. Why young educated Malays are joining DAP?

"Leaders of the parties should look at themselves and not treat the rakyat with disdain," he wrote in a blog posting today.

The former New Straits Times group editor-in-chief said there must be something "particularly strong" in the push and pull factors to encourage a young Malay like Dyana Sofya, who hails from an Umno family, to join DAP as an active member.

"Just days ago, a former female deputy minister from Umno noted with alarm that the DAP’s internship programmes were attracting many young Malay participants, most of whom are well educated.”

He was referring to Wanita Umno head and former women, family and community development minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who had ‎expressed pity towards Dyana for allegedly being unaware that she was being used by DAP to grab power.

However, Dyana hit back at Shahrizat, saying that the ‎latter's belittling remarks against her were testament to Wanita Umno's failure to promote women in politics.

Dyana, who joined DAP in 2011, has caught nationwide attention after being named as DAP's candidate for the Teluk Intan seat, which was made vacant following the death of incumbent Seah Leong Peng from cancer on May 1.

If she wins, she will be DAP's first Malay woman MP.

"Dyana Sofya's youthfulness and look is an advantage," Kadir said.

"But it has to be something deeper than her looks. The fact that she is a young Malay woman representing a Chinese-dominated opposition party is, to me, the real fascination."

The veteran newsman also lauded Gerakan, which is part of the BN coalition, for not "chickening out" from the race for the Teluk Intan seat, just as what MCA had done in Bukit Gelugor.

"Bravo Gerakan for not running away from responsibility and for not shaming the grand old coalition. Encik Mah (BN's candidate Datuk Mah Siew Keong), I salute you for having testicular fortitude! Unlike the sulking MCA, you are not abandoning your supporters."

Mah, who is Gerakan president, won the seat in the 1999 and 2004 general elections but lost to DAP's M. Manogaran and Seah in 2008 and 2013 by 1,470 and 7,313 votes respectively.