PH seat allocation for GE14 taking shape: Report

PETALING JAYA: Based on the seat allocation deal reached among Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties two days ago (Dec 8), DAP will make way for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) in Tanjung Piai and Alor Gajah in return for a ticket to contest in Ayer Hitam in the 14th general election (GE14).
In other words, Tanjung Piai will see a battle between MCA and PPBM whereas MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong will be challenged by DAP in Ayer Hitam, Sin Chew Daily reported today.
However, a source said DAP will allow a Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) proxy to contest under its banner in an arrangement seen as to placate PAN grassroots, which are said to be unhappy that the party was given too few seats to contest. (The seat breakdown in Peninsular Malaysia are: PPBM 52, PKR 51, DAP 35 and PAN 27.)
Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong did not deny such an arrangement in his reply to a query by the daily, and said: "Wee Ka Siong should be very worried by the new arrangement".
In the last general election, Wee garnered 22,045 votes to beat PAS's first-time candidate Hu Pang Chaw, who polled 14,735 votes. Wee's majority votes of 7,310 was a far cry from the 13,909 he obtained in GE12.
Based on the 2013 electoral rolls, Ayer Hitam is a mixed constituency with Chinese accounting for 37.96% of the electorate.
As for Tanjung Piai, which is expected to be defended by MCA strongman Datuk Wee Jeck Seng, talk is that PH's candidate for the prime minister, former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, might be field in the constituency, to boost the opposition coalition's morale in Johor.
However, it is understood that Mahathir will most likely contest a seat in his home state Kedah.
A PPBM source told Sin Chew that Mahathir, who is also the party's chairman, has to lend a hand to his son, PPBM vice-president Datuk Seri Muhkriz Mahathir, to secure a stronger footing for the party in the state.
"Even if Pakatan cannot form the next federal government, it is bent on capturing Kedah," said the source.
It said Mahathir cannot be contesting in an unfamiliar territory. "It's just not the Malay culture. Furthermore, there are many parliamentary seats in Kedah where only Mahathir can secure a victory for the Opposition."
"Tun Mahathir can consider contesting either in Kubang Pasu, Pulau Langkawi or Jerlun."