Perak DAP chief Nga Kor Ming to contest in Teluk Intan

AS expected, Perak DAP chief Nga Kor Ming has set the stage for a battle royale with Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong in Teluk Intan.
Given that Chinese voters are inclined to vote for the DAP, the caretaker Plantation, Industries and Commodities Minister will have to bank on his good service record and strong support from Malay voters to retain his seat.
According to a report in Sin Chew Daily today, both candidates have an equal chance at the moment and the outcome will depend on whether the sentiment in neighbouring Bagan Datuk has any impact on the Malay voters in Teluk Intan and how many of the voters who are currently outstation will return to vote.
The Bagan Datuk incumbent is none other than caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. His pledge to bring more development to Bagan Datuk will not only strengthen his support there but will also help Mah to win more Malay votes.
However, Nga will have the edge in wooing the support of Chinese voters, who number roughly the same as Malay voters at about 40% of the total.
It was observed earlier that there was a swing in Chinese support back to the Barisan Nasional (BN), but following confirmation that Nga would be fielded in the constituency, many who would have supported BN are now of two minds.
Should the more than 1,000 voters now working outstation return to vote come May 9, more "fence-sitters" may be influenced into supporting Nga.
The racial composition of the big crowd — 90% Chinese and 10% Malays — present at Pakatan Harapan's launch of its election operations room in Teluk Intan on Monday night provided an indication into the strengths and weaknesses of the two candidates.
A non-resident of Teluk Intan, Nga appealed to the voters based on their sentiment for the party and urged outstation voters to return in full force.
Mah, an anak of Teluk Intan and a household name in the constituency, has been serving the locals for more than 20 years, and brought considerable development to his area since he was elected MP in a by-election back in 2014.