NO ONE INCLUDING BOO CHENG HAU IS INDISPENSABLE: DAP FIELDS ANOTHER EX-JOHOR CHIEF TO TAKE ON TEE YONG IN LABIS

DAP will be fielding another former Johor DAP chief, Pang Hok Liong, to contest in the parliamentary constituency of Labis.

The announcement was made by the current Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong at a press conference in Labis today, and which was broadcast live via DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang’s Facebook page.

The party will also be fielding Johor DAP deputy chief Ramakrishnan Suppiah at the state constituency of Bekok that is located within Labis.

The development came after the previous Johor DAP chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau refused to budge from his current state seat of Skudaito contest in Labis.

Lim declined to comment on any questions from the reporters present regarding Boo.

Meanwhile, Pang, who helmed Johor DAP from 1993 to 2005 admitted that he had not been active within the party in the past five years.

“But if we can see the economic and administrative situation in Malaysia now under a very corrupt leader; the calling of the people, the calling of the country, and the calling of the party, I, therefore, rise again to offer my services to the country and to the people,” he said at the press conference.

Meanwhile, Ramakrishnan said he had been working in Labis since 2011 and assured that while there will be challenges, the constituents in Labis were ready for change.

He had previously contested in Labis in 2013, but narrowly lost to MCA’s Chua Tee Yong by only 353 votes. Chua is also caretaker international trade and industry deputy minister.

At the press conference, incumbent Bekok assemblyperson Lim Eng Guan thanked the party for allowing him to serve for the past five years and pledged to help the party campaign in the upcoming general election.

When asked whether Eng Guan will be fielded elsewhere, Kit Siang also declined to comment and asked reporters to wait for the official announcement.

Today’s announcement placed doubts on rumours purporting that DAP legal bureau chief Gobind Singh Deo may contest in Johor.

To date, the only Johor parliamentary seat where DAP has yet to announce a candidate is Iskandar Puteri (previously named Gelang Patah), where Kit Siang is expected to contest.

Prior to the dissolution of parliament, Gobind was the member of parliament for Puchong.

– M’kini