It's straight DAP-BN fight for Teluk Intan

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TELUK INTAN What is expected to be a close contest for the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat by-election will kick off today as candidates submit their nomination papers and officialy commence the campaigning period.

The seat fell vacant after former MP Seah Leong Peng, from DAP, passed away due to cancer on May 1.

After a lengthy deliberation, DAP, in what has been termed as a bold move, decided to field 27-year-old lawyer and Lim Kit Siang's former political secretary, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud for the by-election.

Although Teluk Intan is a Chinese-majority seat, DAP is riding on Dyana's image as a young, rising Malay star in a party that is often accused of being too Chinese-centric.

If elected, she will become DAP's first Malay female MP, the second youngest DAP MP to be elected (after Fong Po Kuan for Batu Gajah in 1999) and only the third Malay parliamentarian for the party in the current sitting.

But she faces veteran politician Mah Siew Keong, the current Gerakan president, who previously held the seat between 1999 to 2008 and is a local boy who is well known in the constituency.

Mah lost the last two general elections here to DAP's M Manogaran in 2008 and to the late Seah in May last year, the latest by a majority of more than 7,000 votes.

But the 53-year-old (left) will count on his experience and the strength of the BN machinery for the 12-day campaign period before Teluk Intan goes to polls on May 31.

Some independent candidates are also expected to enter the fray, though none have explicitly stated their intent in doing so.

Malaysiakini brings you the live reports of the nomination day as it unfolds.

LIVE REPORT

10.12am: Returning Officer Ibrahim Ahmad announces that it will be a straight fight between DAP's Dyana Sofya and BN's Mah Siew Keong.

Mah successfully submitted his nomination papers at 9.03am while Dyana submitted hers at 9.05am.

10.15am: Gerakan deputy president Dr Cheah Soon Hai opines that opposition candidate Dyana Sofya is not the underdog she claims to be.

Instead, he describes DAP's decision of fielding Dyana as an arrogant act.

"They field an inexperienced newbie and this shows they are extremely confident in winning this seat," he says.

10am: Returning Officer Ibrahim Ahmad announces that nominations have closed.

9.55am: A police personnel informs the media that about 2,500 BN supporters are gathered outside the nomination centre, while Pakatan supporters, gathered at the field outside the school, number more than 1,500.

There is just five minutes to go till nominations close.

9.45am: DAP supremo leader Lim Kit Siang (second from right in picture) rubbishes the allegation that candidate Dyana Sofya is merely a puppet in DAP.

"There is no puppet in DAP, puppets are only available in BN," he chides at the sidelines of the Teluk Intan by-election nominations.

Lim admits Dyana is an underdog in the coming polls, but stresses that the party will go all out to battle.

He urges voters to consider this by-election as a choice between nationalism vs politics of race.

9.30am: DAP's Bukit Gelugor by-election candidate Ramkarpal Singh is spotted at the Pakatan camp outside the nomination centre.

Ramkarpal says he wishes to support Dyana.

"She is about to go through what I'm going through, so I wish her all the best. And I'm sure she will live up to the challenge," he says.

The Bukit Gelugor polls will take place on May 25.

9.15am: Politicians from opposing camps greet each other in a rare show of comradeship.

Perak DAP chief Nga Kor Ming goes over to the BN camp and greets Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Perak MB Zambry Abdul Kadir, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and MCA president Liow Tiong Lai.

9.10am: Both the BN and DAP candidates are already in the nomination centre, but there is no sign of any independent candidates yet.

9am: SMK Seri Perak - The Election Commission (EC) returning officer Ibrahim Ahmad announces the commencement of the nominations.

DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, garbed in a light green baju jurung, and BN candidate Mah Siew Keong, serious in his BN uniform, enter the nomination centre.

8.40am: Taman Cicely - BN candidate Mah Siew Keong arrives.

He is joined by BN deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin, who leads supporters o march towards SMK Seri Perak.

The number of supporters has now grown to over 1,000.

8.30am: Taman Cicely - More than 500 BN supporters gather at the entrance of the housing area and wait for their leaders and candidate Mah Siew Keong.

Among the leaders already here are deputy finance minister Ahmad Maslan, MCA president Liow Tiong Lai and Gerakan Wanita chief Tan Lian Hoe.

An organiser then briefs the crowd on the route they will take to march to the nomination cente and reminds those gathered to be well-mannered.

8.15am: SMK Seri Perak - Despite it being nomination day, some 800 students are sitting for their mid-year examinations.

A teacher, who requested anonymity, tells Malaysiakini that the school has briefed students about the holding of the nomination process and advises them to be prepared for the noise by the crowd later.

"It's hard for the students to stay focus during the examination, but that's what they have to endure," he says.

Taman Cicely - Among the Pakatan Rakyat leaders already present are former Perak MB Nizar Jamaluddin, Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham, and PKR's Batu MP Tian Chua.

The Pakatan supporters will start marching to the nomination centre at SMK Seri Perak at 8.30am.

8am: Taman Cicely -DAP members start to gather at the entrance of Taman Cicely where the nomination centre is.

PAS' Unit Amal members are exercising control as the crowd trickles in while police have closed the entrance of the usually peaceful housing area.

[More to follow]