Press Statement by Lim Guan Eng in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, 23^rd February 2008: 

DAP to contest in 47 parliamentary seats and 102 state seats in the 12^th General Elections to complete our historic mission to deny BN its 2/3 majority 

DAP will contest 47 parliamentary and 102 state seats in the 12th General Elections to complete our historic mission to deny BN its 2/3 majority. The breakdown of seats contested by DAP are as follows:-

DAP candidates contesting in the 2008 General Election

 

No.	State Name	Parliament Seat	State Seat
1.	Kedah	0	2
2.	Pulau Pinang	7	19
3.	Perak	7	18
4.	Selangor	4	15
5.	Wilayah Persekutuan	5	0
6.	Negeri Sembilan	2	11
7.	Melaka	2	8
8.	Johor	6	12
9.	Pahang	2	7
10.	Sarawak	7	(NO STATE ELECTIONS)
11.	Sabah	5	10
	Total	47	102

 

The youngest candidate is 27 year old Sdr How Wee Shiong who is contesting a state seat in Chennah – Negeri Sembilan. Another 27 year old, but older by 9 months is our female parliamentary candidate for Serdang in Selangor Sdri Teo Nie Ching who is a lawyer. There are a total of 19 female candidates nation-wide.

DAP seeks the support from Malaysians to deny BN its 2/3 majority to move away from BN and UMNO’s political dominance towards a functioning democracy with checks and balances. We are fighting not only for votes from one community but for every single vote from Malays, Chinese and Indians to address 8 issues critical to Malaysians:-

1. Institutionalising democracy with electoral reforms of clean and fair elections, reintroduce local government elections, abolition of all laws that are against basic human rights and freedom of religion as well as end all discriminatory practices based on race, religion and political affiliation;

2. Need for shared prosperity and hardships by reducing the burdens caused by rising prices and inflation. DAP proposes a RM 40 billion stimulus plan to give a yearly RM 3,000 to individuals earning less than RM 3,000 a month and a yearly RM 6,000 to families with combined incomes of less than RM 6,000/-;

3. Introducing the Malaysian First Economic Policy based on equal opportunity, needs and performance;

4. Crime prevention by employing 100,000 more policemen to patrol the streets and establishing the Independent Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to restore public confidence in the integrity and effectiveness of the police;

5. Quality education centered on excellence and needs. Education should not be politicized but all schools, including Tamil and Chinese schools, should be treated fairly based on needs;

6. Fighting gender discrimination;

7. Promoting good governance with integrity by fighting corruption; and

8. A healthy environment with clean air and water.

DAP believes that Malaysians want to elect decent elected representatives with substance in their speeches or content in their character rather than the colour of our skin. DAP calls on all Malaysians to prove that we are one people united by democracy that respects each other, upholds justice and believes that Malaysian can do better. Only by denying BN its 2/3 majority can we establish democracy in Malaysia.

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* Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary-General