JOHOR BARU: An aide to former Skudai assemblyman Marina Ibrahim questioned DAP’s plans to move her to another state seat in the upcoming Johor polls, suggesting it was a hasty decision made over seat-swapping considerations.
Ong Huai Yi also queried Johor DAP chairman Teo Nie Ching’s explanation that Marina had the best chance of victory, which was why she was chosen for a mission to gain support in a Malay-majority area such as Tiram.
"Some people say that Tiram is a winnable seat but what planning has the party actually done for the seat? Have they deployed a team, built grassroots presence, coordinated and managed it long-term?
"Or was it a hasty decision made (because) of seat-swapping?" Ong, the head of Marina's office, said in a statement on Tuesday (June 2).
ALSO READ: Skudai assemblyman announces retirement from active politics ahead of Johor polls
Ong, who is an Indahpura DAP branch committee member, claimed that Marina had been asked to withdraw from the state party committee elections on two occasions to make way for former state exco member Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali.
"At the time, Marina was a branch chairman, party member and state assemblyman who received nominations from the grassroots to contest, yet she was asked to step aside.
"DAP has long emphasised democracy and institutional systems so why must a capable and qualified member give up the opportunity to contest.
"How can someone who could not even contest in the party elections suddenly become the so-called candidate with the best chance of winning?
"Marina being used as a strategic scapegoat is nothing new as she simply chose to stay silent and never openly criticised the party in the past," Ong added.
He also disputed claims that Marina was unwilling to contest elsewhere, saying she had previously been deployed in the Malay-majority Layang-Layang constituency as a coordinator about eight months before GE15 in 2022.
ALSO READ: Johor DAP had plans for Marina to contest strategic urban seat, says Teo
He said Marina had been prepared to contest there despite having no electoral experience.
Ong's remarks came after Marina announced on Sunday (May 31) that she would opt out of the upcoming Johor state election and retire from active politics once the state assembly is dissolved.
He also questioned DAP's long-term commitment to expanding support in Malay-majority constituencies, claiming that little follow-up work was carried out in seats such as Pontian and Mersing after GE15.
Ong said Marina was not negotiating for any position or constituency and had already decided to leave politics and resign from the party after the dissolution of the state assembly.
"She is not waiting for any decision from the party. She has made her choice and will return the Skudai seat to the party," he said.
Following Marina’s resignation, Teo said the party had planned to field her in another urban seat as part of a strategy to expand beyond its traditional strongholds.
In the Johor election in 2022, Barisan Nasional’s Azizul Bachok won the Tiram seat with 22,939 votes.
In the 14th General Election in 2018, PKR’s S. Gopalakrishnan won the seat on a Pakatan ticket.
The Johor legislative assembly was dissolved on Monday (June 1), paving the way for the 16th Johor election.
