Kit Siang: Unleash political storm in the south

by Lee Way Loon
Malaysiakini
11:12AM Mar 19, 2013

Some predict a handsome win for Pakatan Rakyat in the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat when the general election is held, but its candidate does not expect the battle to be easy.

Nevertheless, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang is willing to take the risk, in order to “set off a political storm” in south Malaysia and in Sabah and Sarawak as well.

Lim coined the term “political tsunami” to describe Pakatan’s gains in the last election in March 2008.

“This is a historic chance to decide whether there will be a regime change. We need to set off a political storm in Johor, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan,” he told a press conference in Skudai, Johor, last night after he was named as the Pakatan candidate for Gelang Patah by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

“And then the storm must cross the South China Sea and reach Sabah and Sarawak. With this, the people can complete a movement for political awareness and democracy.”

Lim, the Ipoh Timor MP, said this would be his fifth move into a new state to contest the election in his political career spanning 47 years.

“This is not an easy battle… but it is worth (fighting for) as it is for our goal, as well as for the nation and people,” he said.

He reiterated that Pakatan was targeting to win at least 18 parliamentary seats from BN in these three southern states: 15 in Johor, two in Negri Sembilan and one in Malacca.

DAP to contest seven seats

Lim said the DAP will contest about seven of the 26 parliamentary seats in Johor, but he declined to name the constituencies.

He also refused to confirm whether party political education bureau chief Liew Chin Tong (right) would contest in Johor, saying this would be announced when the time was right.

Gelang Patah, located near Johor Bahru, is now held by Johor Wanita MCA chief Tan Ah Eng, who retained the seat with a 8,851-vote majority in 2008.

However, it is speculated that Tan would be replaced with MCA Gelang Patah division chief Jason Teoh, a staunch supporter of MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek, in the coming election.

Chinese Malaysians make up 54 percent of the voters in the constituency, with Malays comprising 34 percent and Indians 12 percent.