KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Despite some initial awkwardness, Kedah DAP is confident its supporters will have no problem voting for Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the upcoming state elections.

Its state chairman Tan Kok Yew told Utusan Malaysia that DAP did not doubt that Umno members and voters would also help them defend the two seats held by the party in the state.

"As the saying goes, you cannot love what you do not know. So, the cooperation between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and BN has been improving on a daily basis and is at a good level now. But at the grassroots level, some are still feeling awkward, but that is normal,” he was quoted as saying by the Malay language news portal.

Tan said that because the two former nemeses were now working together as the federal unity government, there is no logical reason why they would not be able to extend this cooperation to voting for each other.

He did, however, say that they faced obstacles from some parties who are using DAP as a bogeyman, although he felt that voters were now more open and capable of drawing their own conclusions.

"We are in the age of the internet where the people can do their own research and make their own judgements about DAP. Many are starting to realise that DAP is not just a Chinese party but an inclusive one consisting of many races.

"Some parties are still calling us communists, but if we actually were, we would already be banned by the Registrar of Societies,” he said.

Tan also said that claims of DAP not respecting the Malay Rulers were also untrue as they backed the Agong’s call for the parties to form a unity government after the hung Parliament that emerged after last year’s general election.

"There were some who did not heed the command. But we did what was required. And you cannot say we are dominating the government. The majority of the MPs are Malays and Bumiputera.

"In Kedah, we have just two seats, so how can you say we are dominating?” he said, adding that DAP’s struggle was not just about Chinese but also to ensure all races are cared for equally.