KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — State DAP divisions have been given till October 17 to submit their lists of candidates for the 15th general election, party secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said last night.

He added that a five-member committee comprising himself, its chairman Lim Guan Eng, deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo, two vice-presidents, M. Kulasegaran and Nga Kor Ming, will select the final line-up.

"We hope to get the candidate selection process completed by the weekend before Deepavali, and announce the candidates before the election nomination day,” he told a news conference at the party headquarters here.

Deepaavali falls on October 24 this year.

Fielding questions from reporters, Loke said Pakatan Harapan (PH) is focused on strengthening the ties among its component parties — DAP, PKR, Amanah, and Sabah-based Upko — as well as the two parties that have applied to join the coalition for the general election.

"At this point in time, the only discussions we are having are with Muda and PSM,” he said, referring to Malaysia United Democratic Alliance and the Parti Sosialis Malaysia.

He added that PH will not be looking to work together with Pejuang, the party founded by former two-time prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir who has cobbled together his own alternative Opposition coalition called Gerakan Tanah Air.

Dr Mahathir had told a news conference in Putrajaya earlier yesterday that he had sought to work with PH to head into the election as a united front but was snubbed by its chairman and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Malaysia will be having an early general election after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced Parliament’s dissolution two days ago.

The Election Commision is set to meet on October 20 to decide the dates for nomination and polling.