By Lee Way Loon | 4:13PM Mar 15, 2013
Malaysiakini
In an attempt to win federal power, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, who has been visiting Johor frequently of late, is expected to contest a parliamentary seat in the state in the coming general election.
It is learnt that the Ipoh Timor MP will be making an official announcement on his shift to the southern BN stronghold at DAP’s 47th anniversary celebration and ceramah in Skudai, near Johor Bharu, on Monday.
Several party insiders told Malaysiakini that the possibility of Lim contesting a Johor parliamentary seat in GE13 was “very real”.
However, it could not be confirmed that whether Lim would also name the seat he intended to contest, tough speculation has been that it could be Gelang Patah.
Lim,when contacted on this matter, refused to comment.
On Tuesday, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke (left) said a “major announcement” would be made at the party’s anniversary celebration in Skudai.
Asked for some details by Malaysiakini later, Loke refused to divulge anything, apart from saying it would be a “major announcement that relates to the party’s movements in the coming general election”.
DAP deputy president Tan Kok Wai, who also sits on the four-member panel to finalise the party’s candidates for GE13, also declined to comment.
It is learnt three parliamentary seats are being considered for the veteran DAP leader – Gelang Patah, Kulai and Kluang, with Gelang Patah being the seat most touted.
This constituency, close to Johor Bharu, comprises 54 percent Chinese voters, 34 percent Malay and 12 percent Indian. Incumbent MP and Johor Wanita MCA chief Tan Ah Eng retained the seat with a 8,851-vote majority votes in 2008.
Nevertheless, Gelang Patah is deemed to be one of the winnable seats for Pakatan Rakyat because of a strong sentiment against the BN among the Chinese community there.
[More to follow]