Dyana Sofya is DAP’s choice for Teluk Intan?

(The Malay Mail) – Political greenhorn Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud appears to be the frontrunner among several DAP members for the Teluk Intan by-election on May 31.

Citing unnamed party sources, news portal Malaysiakini reported that DAP has settled on the 27-year-old protégée of Lim Kit Siang, the latter who chaired a three-hour long meeting tonight.

The three-man committee reportedly included acting chairperson Tan Kok Wai and party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.An official announcement is expected to be made tomorrow afternoon.

Other names previously linked with the by-election were popular public speaker and former DAP election publicity chief Hew Kuan Yau, and M. Manogaran, who had won the seat in 2008.Dyana, who joined DAP in 2011, currently serves as Kit Siang’s political secretary and had previously helped him in his successful campaign for the Gelang Patah seat in the 13th general election.

She fell victim to an Internet smear campaign yesterday, less than a week before the Teluk Intan nomination day on May 19.

The Teluk Intan parliamentary seat went vacant after Dyana’s 48-year-old party colleague Seah Leong Peng passed away from cancer on May 1.

Seah won the seat in the general elections last year with a 7,313 majority against Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong.

Teluk Intan used to be Gerakan’s fortress, and Mah is also expected to contest and return the seat to Barisan Nasional’s fold.Like the DAP, BN deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to announce the coalition’s choice in Teluk Intan tomorrow.