SPECIAL REPORT | DAP’s A Sivanesan believes that his own reputation and that of his party will help his bid to wrest Sungai Siput from two-term incumbent MP Dr D Michael Jeyakumar of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).

Sivanesan, 61, said he has been busy working the ground in Sungai Siput since 2016.

“Plus I regularly write articles in all four Tamil-language newspapers - Tamil Malar, Tamil Nesan, Makkal Osai and Malaysia Nanban.

“If DAP comes (to Sungai Siput), like it or not, people will come for the rocket (logo),” he told Malaysiakini when met in Bidor, Sungkai recently.

Sivanesan said this had been proven once before, citing how newcomer Teresa Kok was voted in as the Seputeh MP after incumbent Liew Ah Kim left DAP in 1999.

Chinese voters, who make up 39 percent of the electorate, would mostly support a DAP candidate, said Sivanesan, while Malay voters, who make up about 33 percent, would likely back BN.

This meant that DAP’s key electoral target now was to appeal to the Indian voters, who make up about 20 percent of the electorate, he explains....