KUALA LUMPUR: DAP is fielding 15 candidates in Selangor for the coming state election on Aug 12.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said nine incumbents will be defending their constituencies, including Sekinchan's Ng Suee Lim, who is also Selangor State Legislative Assembly speaker.
The others are Lee Kee Hiong (Kuala Kubu Baru), Ng Sze Han (Kinrara), Michelle Ng Mei Sze (Subang Jaya), Rajiv Rishyakaran (Bukit Gasing), Lim Yi Wei (Kampung Tunku), Jamaliah Jamaluddin (Bandar Utama) and Leong Tuck Chee (Pandamaran).
Wong Siew Ki, who is the incumbent for Balakong, is now set to contest in Seri Kembangan.
She will be replaced by Ong Chun Wei for the Balakong seat.
The six new faces are Yew Jia Haur (Teratai), Quah Perng Fei (Bandar Baru Klang), Preakas Sampunathan (Kota Kemuning), Papparaidu Veraman (Banting) and Lwi Kian Keong (Sungai Pelek).
Loke said the party had made various considerations to ensure that the candidates could convince voters and unite the election machinery, subsequently moving as a team to face the state election.
"We are also confident that all the candidates will be able to retain all the seats that the party had contested in the last state election," he said at a press conference.
Present was DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo and vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran.
During the last state election, DAP contested 16 state seats including Dusun Tua.
This time, the Dusun Tua seat has been handed over to the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate.
Loke also thanked its former incumbents for giving up their seats.
He also announced that the party had proposed for former Banting assemblyman Lau Weng San to become the Selangor State Legislative Assembly speaker, should Pakatan Harapan (PH) and BN win the state.
He said it was part of an agreement for giving one seat held by DAP to BN.
"We have proposed to PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to have someone who is not an assemblyman become the speaker, to which he agreed."
Lau was formerly the Kampung Tunku assemblyman from 2008 to 2018 before he was elected as Banting assemblyman in 2018.
Another seat for BN was Gombak Setia, which was previously held by PKR.
Loke also said that former Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, who will not be contesting in the state election, had been nominated as the Port Klang Authority chairman.
"He will be assigned to a national-level task and I have proposed that Ean be appointed as the Port Klang Authority chairman."