Seven parliamentary constituencies will be the first-line “star” constituencies in the battle of Save Malaysia to Set Malaysia Free from UMNO/BN misrule, corruption, abuses of power, injustices and exploitation.

They are Ayer Hitam, Teluk Intan, and Stampin (where Johore, Perak and Sarawak DAP State Chairman respectively, i.e. Liew Chin Tong, Nga Kor Ming and Chong Chieng Jen have left comparatively safe seats to contest in high-risk constituencies to spark a Malaysian Tsunami to oust UMNO/BN from Putrajaya for the first time in 61 years), Seremban (where DAP National Organising Secretary and Negri Sembilan State Chairman Anthony Loke has refused to relocate to safer seat but to stay put in Seremban although it has become a very risky seat as result of the gerrymandering in the constituency redelineation), Langkawai (where Tun Mahathir will contesting), Pagoh (Tan Sri Muhyiddin contesting) and Semporna (Shafie Apdal contesting).

The second-line “star” constituencies in the 14th General Election will include Iskandar Puteri, Jerlun (Mukhriz Mahathir), Kota Raja (Mat Sabu), Kota Baru (Husam Musa), Bentong, Labis and Kluang.

I remember when I moved from Ipoh Timor parliamentary constituency in Perak to contest in Gelang Patah in Johor in the 2013 General Election, many felt it was a foolhardy decision to move from a very safe seat to a high-risk one.

There were even those who regard the Gelang Patah seat was a “sure lose” one for me in 2013.

Now there is the view that the Iskandar Puteri parliamentary constituency in Johore is a “sure win” for me.

The view that Iskandar Puteri is a “sure win” in the 14GE is as mistaken as the view in that Gelang Patah was a “sure lose” in the 13GE in 2013.

There is no doubt that as a result of gerrymandering in the latest constituency redelineation exercise, Iskandar Puteri has become a more risky seat than Gelang Patah.

Gelang Patah’s racial breakdown of the electorate in 2013 was 53% Chinese, 34% Malays and 13% Indians. The racial breakdown of the electorate of Iskandar Puteri in the 14GE is Chinese 49%, Malays 38% and Indians 13%.

I thank the people of Gelang Patah for their vote and support since the 13th General Elelction, and I seek the vote and support of the people of Iskandar Puteri in the 14th General Election on May 9.

The DAP has created a few histories with the DAP candidate line-up for parliamentary and state assembly elections for the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018.

The DAP is fielding candidates in 47 parliamentary and 105 state assembly seats totaling 152 seats, but involving 148 candidates as four DAP leaders, namely DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng, DAP Vice Chairman and Penang DAP State Chairman Chow Kon Yeow, DAP Deputy Secretary-General and Perak DAP Chairman, Nga Kor Ming and DAP National Organising Secretary and Negri Sembilan DAP State Chairman Anthony Loke, are contesting both parliamentary and state assembly seats.

For the first time in the 52-year history of DAP, an Orang Asli candidate, Nasir Dollah, will be fielded in the Galas state assembly seat in Kelantan.

The ethnic breakdown for the 148 DAP candidates are:

Orang Asli – 1
Dayak – 3
KDM – 3
Malay – 10
Indian – 23
Chinese – 108

DAP has probably the youngest candidate for all political parties in the 14th General Election – my political secretary Kerk Chee Yee, 25, who will be contesting in the Ayer Keroh State Assembly seat in Malacca.

DAP has nine candidates who are 30 years or below. Apart from Kerk Chee Yee, the other eight are:

– Jamaliah Jamaluddin, 29 – Bandar Utama, Selangor.

– Michelle Ng, 28 – Subang Jaya, Selangor.
– Lim Yi Wei, 28 – Kampung Tunku, Selangor.
– Choy Tsi Jen, 30 – Canning, Perak.
– Teoh Yee Chern, 28 – Astaka, Perak.
– Young Syefura Othman (Rara), 28 – Ketari, Pahang.
– Teh Swee Leong, 28 – Kota Darul Aman, Kedah.
– Phoong Jin Zhe, 29 – Luyang, Sabah.

Malaysia has a very youthful population, with the latest demographic profile of the country of 31 million people last year as follows:

0-14 years: 27.83% (male 4,493,084/female 4,238,991)
15-24 years: 16.81% (male 2,677,834/female 2,598,958)
25-54 years: 41% (male 6,507,499/female 6,358,762)
55-64 years: 8.27% (male 1,316,331/female 1,277,558)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 907,850/female 1,005,125) (2017 est.)

DAP is fielding 27 women candidates – eight parliamentary and 19 State Assembly.

On May 9 two years ago, the Filipinos changed their President in their general election. On May 9 last year, the South Koreans changed their President in their presidential election.

It is now the turn of Malaysians whether they would change their Prime Minister on May 9 this year!

This is the decision in the hands of the 15 million Malaysian voters on May 9, 2018.

(Speech 2 at the Pakatan Harapan ceramah at Skudai on Wednesday, 25th April 2018 at 11 pm)