Dr Boo: I will remain in DAP

JOHOR BARU: Dr Boo Cheng Hau, who has been dropped as DAP's Skudai candidate, says he has been betrayed and stabbed in the back so many times in his political career but he knows how to "stitch up the wounds".

He said his background as a medical doctor had helped him treat the wounds and bounce back.

"Yes, I am disappointed and saddened that the secretary-general replaced me without gathering feedback from grassroots leaders and members here," said the former Johor DAP chief.

On Saturday night, Lim Guan Eng announced at a ceramah in Batu Pahat that Dr Boo's candidacy would be taken over by former Mengkibol assemblyman Tan Hong Pin.

Dr Boo quashed talk that he would be leaving the party or be an independent candidate and urged party members to remain calm and supportive of the Opposition.

Instead, he said it was a "stimulant" to start a new chapter in his political life including helping Pakatan Harapan win.

"Anyway, I am a diehard DAP man. I will continue to serve," he told a press conference yesterday.

He said he has no regrets being in politics since 1994.

He denied that he was not a team player for not wanting to move to the Labis parliamentary seat.

"I am not the only one who do not want to go to Labis.

"Other DAP leaders also did not want to move there.

"We should not be moving people at the last minute, so close to the elections.

"We should not be seen as nomads. I also advised Tan Hong Pin against the move from Mengkibol when he came to see me, just like I had advised him during his move from Pekan Nenas.

"I wanted to stay on in Skudai as I wanted to serve my constituents here based on feedback from voters and grassroots," he added.

He hoped that the strategy used in GE14 would not backfire like their poor showing in 1999 and 2004 when the leaders did not heed the wishes of the grassroots.

Other candidates announced by Lim late Saturday were the incumbents - Gan Peck Cheng for Penggaram, Tan Chen Choon for Jementah, Chew Peck Choo (Yong Peng) and Teo Nie Ching (Kulai).

DAP is expected to contest six parliamentary and 14 state seats in Johor.