Johor Ahoy, Here Comes Lim Kit Siang

A Kadir Jasin

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AFTER successfully delivering a knocked-out blow to the Gerakan in Penang during the 2008 General Election, the DAP appears to be aiming its next killer kick at the MCA in the coming polls.

So confident is the party that it has chosen Johor, the Barisan Nasional’s bastion in the Peninsula, as the battleground. It is so sure of making an impact in the state that it is sending its supreme leader, Lim Kit Siang, to lead the charge.

Even so Lim is playing second fiddle to PAS, which over a year ago nominated its Johor-born vice president, Salahuddin Ayub, to lead the charge to conquer the state. Salahuddin is PAS MP for Kubang Krian, Kelantan. Should the Pakatan Rakyat succeed in the assault, Salahuddin will become the Menteri Besar.

Incidentally, the top MCA leaders are also jostling to contest in the state believing it is the safest place for them. The squabbling for seats among the MCA leaders could jeopardise the BN’s chances of defending the state.

The DAP national adviser, who is the MP for Ipoh Timur in Perak, will contest the Gelang Patah seat now held, with a comfortable majority, by the BN via the MCA. In the 2008 polls, MCA’s Tan Ah Eng won with a majority of 8, 851 over PKR’s Dr Zalina Mustafa after polling 33,630 votes. A tough call but Lim appears to be confident that he could wrest the seat.


The DAP will also contest Segamat, Kluang, Kulai, Tanjung Piai, Labis and Bakri.

Changing seats is Lim’s trademark and a survival strategy. He has been successful in the past and the planned move is a vote of supreme confidence that Johor is ready for change. He would not have made the decision unless he believes he has better than average chance of winning.

Since the 1969 GE – his first - Lim had won parliamentary seats in four states namely Malacca, Selangor, Penang and Perak. He has also been a member of the State Legislative Assembly in Malacca and Penang.

MCA the 2013 Target

After doing away with the Gerakan in Penang in the 2008 GE, it is only natural for the DAP to hunt down the MCA this time around.

Only by getting rid of the MCA could the DAP hope to consolidate the Chinese under its banner. The consolidation of Chinese votes under a single party, i.e. the DAP, will strengthen further the bargaining power of the community.

A solid block of 30 over percent Chinese votes is formidable given the fact that the Malay-Bumiputera votes are split three ways among Umno, PAS and PKR and a sizeable chunk of Indian votes is with the PR.

On the other hand, the concentration of Chinese votes under one party would worsen further the already acute racial polarisation in the political arena.

I have for decades been suggesting the possibility of Umno having to partner the DAP in the future in the manner that it partnered the Gerakan in Penang after the 1969 race riots.

DAP’S Presence In Johor

Although Johor is undoubtedly a BN bastion since the 1955 Federal Legislative Council election, the DAP has always had a presence in the state.

It had won several Chinese-dominated state and parliamentary seats and tended to do well under a maverick and Lim falls into this category.

The last maverick to stamp the DAP’s seal on Johor was Lee Kau of the Kluang fame. He was MP and state assemblyman for several terms.

Still it is a brave decision by Lim to move to Johor. The party won a solitary parliamentary seat – Bakri – out of 26 and four state seats out of 56 in the 2008 GE. Pas has two state seats and PKR none.

The objective is clear. The DAP will contest only in urban centers with large Chinese population where the BN is represented by the MCA as killing the MCA is its prime consideration for descending on Johor.

With Johor recording one of the highest number of young and first time voters, the DAP’s southward march may not be as foolish as it may appear to some and the BN should not be overly confident that Johor is an impenetrable.