[UPDATED] GE15: DAP’s Young Syefura to face ex-MCA chief Liow in Bentong

KUALA LUMPUR – DAP has announced its parliamentary candidates for seats in Pahang for the upcoming general election (GE15).

Party secretary-general Anthony Loke made the announcement at DAP headquarters here today regarding four federal seats, out of Pahang’s total 14. 

The candidates are:

Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji – Lipis
Chiong Yoke Kong – Cameron Highlands
Chow Yu Hui – Raub
Young Syefura Othman – Bentong

Tengku Zulpuri is former Raub MP and DAP deputy secretary-general while Chiong was the assemblyman for Tanah Rata, a state seat under the Cameron Highlands federal constituency.

Chow, meanwhile, was the Tras assemblyman under the Raub parliamentary constituency.

With this, Young Syefura is expected to take on former MCA president Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai, the former Bentong MP before he lost the seat to DAP in 2018.

“This is a move to break racial politics. Young Syefura will be the first female Malay MP (for Bentong) if she is elected as the MP.

“I have full confidence in her as she has a good track record as the Ketari assemblyman,” Loke told a press conference at DAP headquarters here today.

Young Syefura made her electoral debut in 2018 in the Ketari state seat, beating the Barisan Nasional candidate by a 3,710-vote margin.

Loke also announced that DAP vice-chairman Teresa Kok will be appointed Young Syefura’s mentor for the Bentong contest, in addition to other support from the party to help her win the traditional MCA stronghold.

Bentong had always been won by MCA since independence, and Liow had been its MP for four terms since 1999 until 2018, losing by just over 2,000 votes to DAP’s Wong Tack.

Kok, who was at today’s press conference, said the ethnic breakdown of voters in Bentong was 47% Malay, 42% Chinese and 9% Indian, which made it a suitable seat to field Young Syefura.

Loke also said he will personally act as a mentor for DAP’s candidates in Cameron Highlands, Raub and Lipis as further support to win these seats.

“This is DAP’s promise (to Pakatan Harapan) to capture these seats,” he said.

On state seats, Loke said that DAP will contest eight constituencies, and will announce the candidates later.

“There will be new faces and some of the incumbents as well,’’ he said.

One state seat candidate confirmed, however, is Tengku Zulpuri, whom Loke said would be the only Pahang DAP candidate contesting both a parliamentary and state seat in GE15. – The Vibes, October 26, 2022