SEREMBAN: Pakatan Harapan's Chennah incumbent Anthony Loke says the party should retain the constituency in the Aug 1 state polls as it had put in significant groundwork, including in the Malay-majority areas.
The DAP secretary-general said with the number of Malay and Chinese voters in the constituency being almost equally represented, he was confident of securing support from both communities.
"Chennah is the toughest of the 11 seats the DAP is defending as we will have a straight fight with the Barisan Nasional candidate here.
"Our rivals may think that the DAP will not be able to penetrate or receive support from the Malay voters, but we will prove them wrong," he told reporters after meeting voters at the wet market here on Sunday (July 19).
Loke, who has held the seat since 2013, will be challenged by Barisan's Siow Kong Choon.
In the 2023 state election, Loke won the seat in a straight fight against Perikatan Nasional's Rosmadi Arif with a 2,200-vote majority. The constituency has 14,422 registered voters.
Loke said he would continue to work hard in the next two weeks in his constituency, especially the Malay areas, to retain the seat.
"I have worked hard in the Malay areas such as Kg Chennah, Kg Sg Buloh and Simpang Durian.
"My rivals have made a political calculation that we will not get support, but we will prove otherwise," he said.
Loke said although Barisan and Perikatan have formed an electoral pact in the Aug 1 state election, Pakatan will continue to fight them in every seat they are contesting.
"Pakatan has a chance to win the majority of the seats in the state polls.
"Our rivals may have come up with a strategy they think may work, but the DAP will work hard to win all 11 seats we are contesting so we can return Pakatan as the state government," he added.
Loke, who is also Transport Minister, urged all candidates and party workers to comply with road traffic rules during the campaigning period.
"When my convoy was heading from Titi to the Kuala Klawang nomination centre, I told my election workers on motorcycles to put on their helmets.
"Those without helmets were asked not to be in the convoy," he said.
Loke also advised party workers to refrain from standing on the boot or cargo space of four-wheel drive vehicles for safety purposes.
"I used to do that previously, but after being advised by my officers, I have stopped doing so," he added.
