SEREMBAN: Pakatan Harapan (PH) will defend the Tanjung Piai parliamentary seat, which is now vacant following the death of Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik on Saturday.
The Election Commission (EC) is expected to call for a by-election soon.
Negri Sembilan DAP chairman Anthony Loke said that the upcoming Tanjung Piai by-election will prove to be a major test for PH.
As such, the pact’s component parties will need to be at their best and play their respective roles in defending the seat.
“He (Dr Farid) was a visionary leader and promoted messages of unity in his efforts to unite the people.
"In recognition of Dr Farid's contribution, we must mobilise the PH machinery, including that from Negri Sembilan, to defend Tanjung Piai," he said.
Loke, who is the Transport Minister, said this at the 20th state DAP Annual Convention here, today.
Also present was DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Negri Sembilan PH chairman Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.
Earlier, all DAP delegates and leaders who were present observed a minute's silence at the beginning of the convention to remember the late Dr Farid.
The 42-year-old Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and Tanjung Piai MP died at 6am on Saturday at the Pontian Hospital due to a heart attack.
In the 14th general election (GE14), Dr Farid, who was also the Tanjung Piai Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) vice chief, wrested the seat from the MCA by a 524-vote majority by beating Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng.
In the GE14, the total number of registered voters in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary constituency was 53,528.
The number comprises 56.8 per cent Malays, 41.64 per cent Chinese, 1.01 per cent Indians and 0.55 per cent “others”.
Prior to Dr Farid’s win, the constituency had been held by some of MCAs stalwarts, including Wee, a former deputy minister under Barisan Nasional, who won the seat for two consecutive terms in 2008 and 2013.
Former MCA president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting also held the seat for one term, when he was elected in 2004.
Tanjung Piai is located 65km southwest of Johor Baru, and 30km south of Pontian.
It is known for being the "southernmost tip of mainland Asia" and boasts a coastal mangrove park.
