SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan DAP aims to maintain its track record from the past three elections by retaining all 11 seats in the upcoming state election, says Anthony Loke.
The party's state chief and national secretary-general said the majority of its candidates will be incumbents.
"We did very well in the past three state polls and our mission is to repeat that by defending all 11 seats," he told reporters after launching an electronic screen at Dataran Lobak near here on Wednesday (June 10).
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The party will defend the Chennah, Bahau, Nilai, Lobak, Temiang, Bukit Kepayang, Rahang, Mambau, Seremban Jaya, Lukut and Repah seats.
There are 36 seats in the Negri Sembilan legislative assembly.
The party won 10 of the 11 seats in 2008, losing only in Chennah.
Loke, however, declined to name which incumbents would be dropped.
"We will finalise this in the next few days.
"What I can tell you now is that more than half will be (retained)," he said.
Talk is rife that those axed may include Yap Yew Weng (Mambau), Ng Chin Tsai (Temiang), S Veerapan (Repah) and Datuk P Gunasekaren (Seremban Jaya).
They have all served four terms as assemblymen.
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Loke said the names of candidates, especially those making their debut, would be announced early to allow voters to get to know them.
Loke had earlier confirmed that he would defend Chennah, which he first won in 2013.
Asked if the DAP was worried about the expected increase in the number of parties contesting this time around, Loke said it was a new scenario in the local political landscape.
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"The more the merrier, actually, and I see it as a democracy festival.
"Some people who were unhappy with their old parties have gone ahead to set up new ones or join others.
"As far as I am concerned, the voters will be able to judge who will be the best to serve them based on their service before this," he added.
The state legislative assembly was dissolved on Friday (June 5) to pave the way for the state election.
In the last election in August 2023, Pakatan Harapan won 17 seats followed by Barisan Nasional with 14 and Perikatan Nasional with five.
