JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 9 (Sin Chew Daily) — DAP will likely  field the incumbents of Bentayan and Pekan Nenas state seats to defend the seats as a compromise to pacify unhappy grassroots.

To manage the dissatisfaction within the party, the DAP leadership has agreed to field Ng Yak Howe and Yeo Tun Siong to defend the seats respectively.

Sin Chew Daily learned that the party leadership decided to compromise due to opposition from the grassroots.

Earlier, the party had planned to field new candidates to contest seven state seats.

A total of 59 branches in the state and seven youth divisions jointly signed a statement requesting the party leadership to allow the incumbents to defend their seats.

DAP won a total of 14 state seats in the last general election.

The party announced that incumbents Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali (Paloh), Chew Chong Sin (Mengkibol), Gan Peck Cheng (Penggaram) and Ee Chin Li (Tangkak) would be defending their state seats.

If both Bentayan and Pekan Nenas state seats are to be defended by the incumbents, DAP will be left with eight seats whose candidates are yet to be not named.

These eight seats are: Bekok, Jementah, Yong Peng, Stulang, Perling, Senai, Johor Jaya and Skudai.

Both elected representatives Tan Chen Choon (Jementah) and Chew Peck Choo (Yong Peng) have announced that they would not be defending their seats in order to make way for others.

Skudai state assemblyman Tan Hong Ping has been notified that he would be dropped from the state election candidature.

Tan, a two-term state assemblyman, will likely be fielded to contest Labis parliamentary seat in the next general election.

Perling state assemblyman Cheo Yee How will unlikely be fielded as the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) chairman Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is tipped to be contesting the seat.

Sources said the three Pakatan Harapan parties – DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Parti Amanah Negara – will be concluding the seat negotiations with MUDA soon.

By then, DAP will be able to announce the rest of its candidates in the coming Johor state polls, which will be held on March 12.