DAP will not accept incumbent Pengkalan Batu assemblyman Norhizam Hassan Baktee as a candidate for the upcoming Malacca state elections, Lim Guan Eng said.

The DAP secretary-general said the party is against Norhizam and will take up the matter with the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council.

“Some have asked me and I have firmly stated that DAP has completely rejected the former Pengkalan Batu assemblyman as a candidate in the next Malacca state elections,” Lim was quoted as saying by Astro Awani.

“I don’t want to mention (the reason). There is no need to go to the origin, everyone knows. DAP still does not accept him as a candidate in the state elections,” he was quoted as saying by Astro Awani.

Norhizam had contested on a DAP ticket in the 14th general election and won the state seat. However, he defected to help form the Umno-Bersatu state government following the “Sheraton Move”.

Early this month, he turned on Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali and joined three other assemblymen – Umno’s Idris Haron (Sg Udang), Bersatu’s Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas) and Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor) – and brought down the government.

Sulaiman then dissolved the 28-seat assembly and the Election Commission yesterday set November 20 as the polling day.

Lim said PH is committed to ensuring that the people’s mandate is returned in the upcoming state elections.

He said DAP will continue to support Adly Zahari as the candidate for Malacca chief minister.

“PH has expressed support for Adly as the chief ministerial candidate and I hope there are no issues about this,” he said.

“This is not only from DAP but also from other component parties because Adly was doing a good job.”

Lim also said PH will be using the coalition’s logo for the elections. – October 19, 2021.