Selangor could be DAP’s after GE14, says Raja Petra
(Berita Daily) – The present political scenario in the county in which almost all political parties are facing trouble or not moving forward has opened the door for DAP to take full control of Selangor in the next general election, said political commentator Raja Petra Kamarudin today.
“With Pakatan Rakyat dead, PAS split into two, Umno facing a serious internal conflict, and PKR neither here nor there, DAP can now make its move to add Selangor as the second state after Penang that it owns,” he said in his portal Malaysia-Today.
He pointed out that DAP managed to win over 85% to 90% of the Chinese support nationwide in the last election, and had won every seat it contested.
“This impressive track record is not expected to change come the next general election,” he said.
He said that in the 56-seat Selangor, almost half of which can be considered Chinese-majority seats, and as such DAP has the potential to win at least 28 of those seats.
Therefore, if DAP were to contest 25 state seats in Selangor it can most likely win all of them, he said.
He added that the remaining 31 seats, 20 can be given to PKR and 11 to the new and untested Gerakan Harapan Baru.
However he warned that these 31 seats could see four-cornered fights with both Umno and PAS contesting as well.
“It is expected that there is no way for PAS, Umno, PKR and GHB to win more than 10 seats per party. PKR and Umno might win 10 seats each leaving the balance 11 for PAS and Harapan Baru to share, he speculated.
He said this would give DAP the perfect opportunity to be the leading party in Selangor.
He went on to speculate that with the party eyeing the menteri besar’s post, it would also field at least five Malay candidates in Selangor, some among them will be prominent Malays.
He added that DAP would then choose three names from those five and submit them to the Sultan of Selangor as the new coalition’s choice for Selangor Menteri Besar.
“And with that, for the first time in history since June 1947 when the post of Menteri Besar was created, Selangor would have a DAP Menteri Besar,” he said.
He said that with such a scenario, DAP will take advantage of the turmoil in Umno and PAS, and to a lesser degree in PKR, to add Selangor to the list of states it owns.
“I mean, Selangor is going to be practically served to DAP on a silver platter,” he said.
In recent months, DAP has been recruiting Malay members to show its multiracial profile, including writer and activist A Samad Said, and constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari. The party also has in its ranks a good collection of young and progressive Malays.
Selangor is presently led by PKR menteri besar Azmin Ali although the party has less seats than DAP and PAS – 13 compared to 15 each held by DAP and PAS. Umno has 12 seats while there is an independent in the form of former PKR menteri besar Khalid Ibrahim.
PAS meanwhile is also facing turmoil with several of its elected representatives are expected to join Harapan Baru, a new entity made up of PAS rebels who could not get along with the ulama leadership.
