Kit Siang and Dr Boo directed to defend Johor seats

JOHOR BARU: Gelang Patah DAP has decided that incumbent MP Lim Kit Siang and Skudai assemblyman Dr Boo Cheng Hau will defend their respective seats in the general election to secure the “hard-won” territory.

This comes as the party plans to move big names to tough constituencies in Johor, which Pakatan Harapan considers a front-line state.

Gelang Patah DAP parliamentary committee chairman Lee Chee Hiang said it unanimously passed a resolution to nominate Lim and Dr Boo on Jan 11.

The resolution was conveyed to the party’s central executive committee and a second resolution was passed at a joint meeting on Tuesday.

Following the latest electoral redelineation, Gelang Patah has been renamed Iskandar Puteri.

“We want to retain Lim and Dr Boo as the Pakatan Harapan candidates to secure the two hard-won fortresses in south Johor,” Lee said in a statement.

He praised Lim for his efforts in building up DAP and Dr Boo for 20 years of hard work strengthening the party’s grassroots in Skudai.

He hoped all quarters would respect Gelang Patah DAP’s decision to nominate Lim for Iskandar Puteri and Dr Boo for Skudai.

Dr Boo has expressed his willingness to remain in Skudai and team up with Lim, who has yet to indicate where he will stand although speculation has it that he is heading for a state seat in Penang.

“I have no intention to run for a parliamentary seat,” Dr Boo said, stressing that Skudai is anything but a safe seat that can be won by any Pakatan candidate.

Dr Boo said he and DAP veterans had worked relentlessly to win over the grassroots since defeats in 1999 and 2004, and vowed to serve his constituents without fail.

He also denied talk of a strained relationship with his former assistant Tan Hong Ping, who is the incumbent Mengkibol assemblyman.

Dr Boo said Tan’s wish to stand in Mengkibol again should be respected by all quarters, including the state and central party leadership.

“Moving Tan to another constituency will jeopardise Pakatan’s chances in the Kluang parliamentary constituency and its state seats.

“I believe our top leadership will make the right decision,” he said.