DAP set to recruit Bersih activist, may field him in Kluang

DAP is set to unveil Bersih activist Johnson Chew Chong Sin as its latest recruit and may field him in Kluang in the 14th general election.

DAP sources told Malaysiakini that Chew, a Kluang native, will be asked to contest in the parliamentary constituency.

The party this evening sent a media invitation to a press conference at its headquarters tomorrow by party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

Lim will formally announce Chew's entry into the party then, the sources said.

When contacted, Chew confirmed to Malaysiakini that he will be submitting his membership form to the DAP tomorrow.

Chew, is the Shanghai Bersih founder and coordinator but will be resigning from his position when he joins the party.

On contesting in Kluang, he said he will leave the decision to the party leadership but was prepared to contest anywhere if called upon.

Chew's imminent entry into the DAP and the plan to field him in Kluang came just a day after the party announced that Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong (photo) would move to the parliamentary seat of Ayer Hitam. 

Ayer Hitam, a Malay-majority constituency, is seen as a tougher seat for Liew who must face off with the three-term incumbent MCA deputy president, Wee Ka Siong.

Wee garnered 22,045 votes to PAS' Hu Pang Chow who received 14,735 votes in the last general election.

In contrast, Liew won the Chinese-majority seat of Kluang with 40,574 votes to MCA's Hou Kok Chong who received 33,215 votes.

Chew's entry marks the second prominent Bersih activist to enter politics for the 14th general election.

On March 5, Maria Chin Abdullah resigned as Bersih chairperson. She is planning to contest as an independent but under PKR's ticket in a yet to be disclosed parliamentary seat. 

Prior to becoming a Bersih activist, Chew was part of the Writers' Alliance For Media Independence (Wami) and a member of the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall human rights committee.

Ironically, Chew also participated in 1999 Malaysian Chinese Organisations' Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu) movement, which then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad attacked as communists.

Mahathir is now the Pakatan Harapan chairperson and the coalition's prime ministerial candidate. -Mkini