Guan Eng to defend Air Putih, Zairil gets Tg Bungah

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (above) will defend his Air Putih state seat for the third term in the coming 14th national polls (GE14).

State DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow made the announcement today at the party's Tanjung Bungah service center. Lim, the caretaker chief minister, was also present.

Chow also announced the candidates for the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat, Tanjung Bungah and Pulau Tikus state seats. They are:

• Bukit Bendera - Wong Hon Wai
   
• Tanjung Bungah - Zairil Khir Johari
   
• Pulau Tikus - Chris Lee Chun Kit.

Wong, who is currently Lim's political secretary, is the incumbent assemblyperson for Air Itam and one-term state executive councillor for housing.

Prior to his state elected post, Wong was a computer science engineer before joining the legal field.

Wong will be facing Gerakan Youth deputy chief Andy Yong who has relocated to Penang where he is vocal on various issues at the national level.

He has frequently called on Umno to tone down its racial rhetoric in order to be more inclusive towards other races.

Zairil (below), who courted controversy by getting engaged to party comrade Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud last month, has been shifted to a state seat in what is seen as a strategic move.

The move is probably to pave his way to a state executive councillor's post if Pakatan Harapan retains Penang in GE14.

He will most likely go up against Gerakan's H'ng Chee Way.

With Zairil in a state seat, Harapan hopes to boost its Malay representation in the state executive council in case coalition partners Amanah, Bersatu and PKR, fail to get the much-needed votes from the community.

Tanjung Bungah is up for grabs with incumbent DAP assemblyperson Teh Yee Cheu quitting DAP to contest under a PSM ticket in Sungai Pinang.

The state seat falls under the Bukit Bendera parliamentary constituency.

Meanwhile, Chris Lee will contest the Pulau Tikus state seat vacated by one-term assemblyperson Yap Soo Huey who recently said she was quitting to further her studies in the US.

Lee is vocal in defending the state government and is a familiar face in solving problems in the constituency.

He will most likely face state Gerakan acting Youth chief Jason Loo who has questioned the state government on many issues from details on the sale of state land to the proposed undersea tunnel project.

[More to follow] - Mkini