KUALA LUMPUR – Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election is Pang Sock Tao, the 31-year-old aide of Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
Her candidacy was announced tonight by DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke at the representative’s centre of the party in Taman Gamelan, Kuala Kubu Baharu, and via live stream.
Addressing the crowd of PH members and supporters, as well as representatives from other unity government parties, Pang, who hails from Ampang, Selangor said she would use her experience working at two ministries to bring positive development to Kuala Kubu Baharu.
Before serving as Nga’s press secretary, Pang had been special officer to then energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister Yeo Bee Yin.
Pang also paid tribute to the seat’s late representative Lee Kee Hiong, whom she described as a mentor to many in DAP.
“She set a good example for many people, including myself. I hope to continue her legacy and give the best service to Kuala Kubu Baharu,” said Pang, whose beginnings in DAP in 2017 include a stint as a presenter for the party’s video channel, UbahTV.
She joined the party that year, the same year she graduated from Universiti Tenaga Nasional with a bachelor’s in electrical and electronic engineering with honours, according to her biodata released by DAP.
The Kuala Kubu Baharu seat fell vacant with Lee’s death aged 58 on March 21 due to cancer.
The Election Commission has fixed this Saturday for nominations and May 11 for polling.
Pang will be defending the seat for DAP for the fourth time, following Lee’s three consecutive wins in previous elections.
The state seat, which is under the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency, was an MCA stronghold until 2013 when Lee first won it with a majority of over 1,700 votes.
Lee defended the seat in the 2018 general election, again beating closest rival MCA, by 7,134 votes.
In the state election in August last year, Lee beat the Perikatan Nasional candidate by 4,119 votes to win the seat for a third time.
The seat, which had 49.3% Malay voters in the state polls last year, is now 50% Malay, while Chinese voters comprise around 20%, Indian voters 18% and Orang Asli the remainder.
Pang’s unveiling today was attended by representatives from Barisan Nasional parties Umno and MIC, but there was no sign of any MCA leader present, following its president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong’s statement that the party would not help DAP-PH’s campaign for the seat.
This follows alleged insults by Loke against MCA made during a podcast interview on his past views on the BN party.
Meanwhile, the opposition Perikatan Nasional is to announce its candidate for Kuala Kubu Baharu tomorrow night, while Muda and partner PSM have also announced intentions to field a candidate. – April 24, 2024