GEORGE TOWN: DAP has admitted that the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat by-election will be intense as the seat has never been won by Pakatan Harapan (PH).
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the party would do its best to make history by winning the seat, which has traditionally been an MIC stronghold.
“It will be a close fight,” he said after launching the Customs Department quarters lift upgrading in Bukit Gelugor, here, today.
“The advantage is with MIC because they are strong there and DAP or PH have never won there.
“Despite that, PH will try to make history so that the people can further enjoy sustainable economic development.”
He said DAP would hold a central executive committee meeting to nominate the candidate before Jan 12.
The by-election was called after the Special Election Court nullified the win by Barisan Nasional candidate MIC vice-president C. Sivarraajh in the 14th General Election due to evidence of bribery.
Sivarraajh had emerged victorious in a five-cornered fight with a slim 597-vote majority.
Sivarraajh obtained 10,307 votes, defeating DAP candidate M. Manogaran, who secured 9,710 votes; Wan Mahadir Wan Mahmud (Pas - 3,587 votes); Mohd Tahir Kassim (Berjasa - 81 votes) and B. Suresh Kumar (PSM - 680 votes).
Manogaran, 59, had filed an election petition on June 4, applying for the GE14 results for the seat to be nullified over a breach of the Election Offences Act 1954.