AYER KEROH, Nov 7 — How DAP feels about two former Umno men being named as Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidates in the Melaka state election can only be answered by the party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

DAP veteran and the senior Lim, Kit Siang deflected the question when asked if the decision to nominate former Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron and Datuk Nor Azman Hassan, was fully endorsed by all component parties in the PH coalition.

"I’m not suited to answer that question, please ask the secretary general,” he said during a press conference here for the launch of his eponymous book Lim Kit Siang, this afternoon.

DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong who was also at the book launch similarly declined to comment when approached, saying the question should be posed to the younger Lim, Guan Eng.

Also present was DAP Ayer Keroh candidate Kerk Chee Yee.

Malay Mail has contacted Guan Eng’s office and is awaiting his response.

A battle among governments

While promoting his book, Kit Siang reiterated the need for Malaysians to reject unprincipled politics and kleptocracy so as to raise the nation’s democracy.

Speaking during the book launch, Liew described the November 20 Melaka election as a contest between parties that had all once been in government.

He noted that each of the coalitions throwing their hats into the ring this time — PH, Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional (BN) — have had the chance to helm the state administration before.

"This is no longer a contest between the government and the opposition. This is a contest between governments. 

"The voters will have the opportunity to choose a PH government, Perikatan government or BN government. So we will see which government will be the choice of the people of Melaka,” Liew said.

Taking the book into context, which depicts Kit Siang’s political journey and its subsequent effect to Malaysian politics, Liew added that the unique situation in Melaka is borne so some extent from this effect.