By Amar Shah Mohsen
KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Incumbent Banting assemblyman Lau Weng San, who will sit out the upcoming state election, has been nominated by DAP to be next Selangor Speaker in the event of a Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) victory.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said this was the condition given to the coalition’s top leadership in return for the party giving up its Dusun Tua seat to Barisan Nasional.
“When we asked to give up Dusun Tua, the condition we set was for us to nominate someone who is not an assemblyman to be the new state speaker. And our proposal is Lau,” he said in a press conference to announce the party’s candidates for the Selangor election at DAP’s headquarters, here, today.
Pressed further, Loke said: “Previously we had 16 assemblymen, and one of them was later appointed speaker. With the formula finalised by Harapan chairman (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), where we will only contest 15 seats, we asked that we maintain the speaker, although he will not be an assemblyman.”
He added that Anwar has agreed to DAP’s condition.
Previously, Loke had been quoted as expressing his disappointment at Anwar’s decision to give the Dusun Tua seat to BN, but said the party had to abide by the decision.
In the 2018 election, DAP’s Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof had won Dusun Tua constituency with a majority of 10,422 votes.
However, for the coming polls, BN has announced that Umno’s Datuk Johan Abd Aziz will be vying for the seat.
Meanwhile, Loke expressed his appreciation to Lau and five other incumbent DAP assemblymen who will be making way for new faces to contest in the Selangor election.
Other than Lau, Bandar Baru Klang’s Teng Chang Khim, who was the state’s executive councillor for investment, industry, trade and small–medium industries, and Seri Kembangan incumbent Ean Yong Hian Wah were also given special mention.
Loke said he has also proposed Yong’s name to be appointed chairman of the Port Klang Authority.
Selangor, along with Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, will head to the polls on August 12, with nomination set for July 29.
