Balakong straight fight: DAP adopts Harapan logo, MCA drops BN's for first time

BALAKONG | It's official. Barisan National's Tan Chee Teong will take on Pakatan Harapan's Wong Siew Ki in the Balakong by-election in Selangor.

No surprises were in store today and the nomination process went smoothly, with both candidates submitting their nomination papers by 9.20am.

Both candidates arrived early at the nomination centre at the Demense Hall at the Hulu Langat District office.

Their supporters, meanwhile, arrived much earlier with MCA supporters gathering as early at 8am outside the nomination centre, while DAP supporters arrived a little later.

Nominations closed at 10am, after with returning officer Rosli Othman announced that the state seat will be contested by Wong and Tan.

What is new, however, are the logos being used by both candidates.

Wong will be contesting under the Harapan logo, the first time the logo is being officially used in any polls, as the coalition was only successfully registered after the May 9 general election.

Tan, meanwhile, will be contesting under MCA's own logo, with the party choosing to forsake the blue 'dacing' logo of the BN coalition.

He had previously said it would be a "miracle" to win the seat, held by DAP over the past two terms.

The Chinese-majority state seat was previously held by DAP incumbent Ng Tien Chee, who won the seat with a 35,538-vote majority in the 14th general election.

The seat fell vacant upon his death in a car accident last month.

Speaking to reporters earlier, MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong said today's nomination was a "historical moment" for MCA, as the party was using its own logo to contest.

Meanwhile, Tan, when asked if the other opposition parties will help in the campaign, he answered that MCA is now acting independently, despite it not actually leaving the Barisan National coalition.

“MCA is now a party which is independent and autonomous. We support any policy that is good for people, regardless of which party is promoting it.

“We want to be a constructive party. No more pursuing of personal credit, no more worrying about the future of our party, rather, our emphasis will be towards benefitting the rakyat," he said after his nomination.

When announcing that MCA would be using its own yellow star logo last week, MCA president Liow Tiong Lai said that while the party remained committed to BN, the coalition currently existed "in name only".

-Mkini