Don’t field Malays in Johor state seats, Amanah member tells DAP

Members of the three Pakatan Harapan component parties attending the leadership convention in Shah Alam, Selangor, today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, January 9, 2016.DAP should not field Malay candidates in Johor state seats, a Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) member from the state said at the Pakatan Harapan leadership convention today.

Zulkefly Ahmad said if DAP insisted on doing so, it should use either the Amanah or PKR logo. The three parties are members of the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition.

He said Amanah had no problems if DAP were to field a Malay candidate for parliamentary seats, but not for the state legislative assembly as a way to ensure Malay support for the pact in Johor, which is also an Umno stronghold.

“The Malay vote is a deciding factor for Pakatan Harapan in Johor. We are not worried about our friends in the Chinese community but we are worried about support from Malay voters,” said Zulkefly in his speech at the convention in Shah Alam today.

A recent survey by think tank Institut Darul Ehsan found that Malay animosity towards the DAP was on the rise.

Zulkefly said DAP has been made a scapegoat by Umno and labelled anti-Islam and this had affected its standing among Malays.

“I believe that we have to be more sensitive to Malay sentiment especially in issues which involve Israel.”

Zulkefly's views, however, were challenged by another speaker Wan Hamidi Hamid, from the DAP, who argued that Pakatan cannot follow the same racial ideology as that of the ruling Barisan Nasional.

“Race and religion are easily exploited and DAP is always the target for this as we believe in equality and justice. But we must be careful not to fall into the same trap where we think only Malays can take care of Malays, Chinese for Chinese or Indians for Indians."

- TMI