Politically Frank: Being multiracial, can DAP walk the talk?

SHAH ALAM - DAP has historically been known as a Chinese majority party, however, the party's assemblyman Lim Yi Wei said this is no longer the case as Malaysian voters can expect more multiracial candidates to be in the line up for the 15th general election (GE15).

She also hoped the party would secure more mixed race seats for the next election.

“We have always had more marginal and mixed race seats.

“We also have a significant number of Malay members who are quite promising and we hope in our seat negotiation to get more mixed seats because I think that works well with everyone,” she told Sinar Daily during the Politically Frank segment on Sept 14.

Lim said voters can also expect more female candidates especially since DAP achieved the 30 per cent female candidates quota in the last elections.

She added that she would like to see the DAP candidates expand to young Indian and young Orang Asli women in the country.

Commenting on certain factions in Umno which are expected to deny requests to delay elections, she said DAP has nothing to worry since they are in preparation to face GE15 with campaign strategies.

“We are currently preparing to select our campaign teams and our individual campaign strategies for the areas.

“But if the Parliament is all set, then let’s go,” she said.

When asked if former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s imprisonment was an advantage to PH to win GE15, she said it has given their supporters a motivational boost but unsure if it could sustain the momentum for the opposition to claim victory.

“With the anti-hopping laws coming in, it restores some hope and faith within our supporters that their vote matters but whether we can carry this all the way to GE15 with Najib Razak going to prison is another matter. We need to offer something positive to the rakyat,” she said.

She added that corruption cases involving other top politicians like Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin who has been ordered to enter defence for graft case.

Stating that it was a good sign, she said it is important that PH offers something beneficial for the people to vote for them.

Najib began serving a prison sentence on August 23 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction of 12-year prison sentence with RM210 million fine he faced in the embezzlement case of SRC International Sdn Bhd's RM42 million fund.

Zahid is standing trial on 47 charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving millions from Yayasan Akalbudi and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as the home minister.

Meanwhile, on Sept 2, Bung Moktar and his wife Datin Seri Zizie Izette Abdul Samad have been ordered to enter their defence on all three charges of corruption amounting to RM2.8mil over unit trust investments.