KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — DAP will field 15 candidates for the Selangor state election with six of them being new faces who will replace incumbents, the party announced this afternoon.

Over half of the line-up will be men while women form a third. The majority of them are young, with an average age of just 43.6. The young age reflects the party’s continued belief in young leaders, party secretary-general Anthony Loke said at a press conference to announce the candidates.

"I’d like to congratulate Selangor DAP for rejuvenating our candidates,” Loke said.

"Most of the candidates we are fielding are below 50 years old. In fact, we don’t have any candidates above 60,” the DAP leader added.

Kuala Kubu Baharu’s Lee Kee Hiong, 57, is the party’s oldest candidate.

Other notable incumbents are Kinrara’s Ng Sze Han, an executive councillor from the caretaker state government, Subang Jaya representative Michelle Ng Mei Sze, Bukit Gasing’s Rajiv Rishyakaran, Kampung Tunku’s Lim Yi Wei and Bandar Utama’s Jamaliah Jamaluddin.

Meanwhile, the six new candidates will defend seats that were previously won by the party.

They are Ong Chun Wei in Balakong, Wong Siew Ki in Seri Kembangan, Preakas Sampunathan in Kota Kemuning Papparaidu Veraman in Banting, Lwi Kian Keong in Sungai Pelek and Quah Perng Fei in Bandar Baru Klang.

Loke expressed confidence with the party’s Selangor line-up but said Pakatan Harapan (PH) is set to face a fierce challenge from a resurgent Perikatan Nasional.

"We know that we will face a fierce contest in this state election, but we have given the matter due consideration and chosen a selection of candidates that could inspire and unite the entire election machinery,” he said.

Incumbents who have made way for newcomers to stand included some of the party’s veterans like Datuk Teng Chang Kim, Lau Weng San and Ean Yong Hian Wah.

Teng, a former Speaker of the Selangor State Legislature, has announced his retirement. As for Lau, the incumbent for Banting, Loke said he would propose that he be made the new Speaker if the PH-Barisan Nasional alliance wins, as a compromise for giving one of the party’s traditional seats — Dusun Tua — to Barisan Nasional

"When we were asked to make way in Dusun Tua, we agreed on the condition that we would be allowed to propose the nomination of a non-elected rep for the role of Speaker, and that person is Lau Weng San,” he said.

DAP would also propose that Ean Yong be made chairman of the Port Klang Board, Loke said.