Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai has challenged Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to contest in the Cheras parliamentary constituency in the next general election.

This follows the latter’s call to Cheras voters to give Tan’s party DAP ‘a surprise’ in the election.

“Since Tengku Adnan is so confident that Cheras voters would unseat me, how about leaving Putrajaya that has only 15,791 voters next election, and come to Cheras to face me and see who is more popular here,” he told an audience in Pudu today.

In a speech yesterday, Tengku Adnan had urged Cheras voters to surprise DAP by telling Tan that they don’t need him anymore, and claimed that Cheras remained underdeveloped.

Tan had countered that he had been a five-term parliamentarian, but his winning majority had only increased following each election.

“This also proves that (people agreed) Barisan Nasional is inept in ruling Kuala Lumpur,” he told Malaysiakini yesterday.

During the 13th general election, Tan had won the Cheras constituency after garnering 48,249 votes, besting his opponent Teoh Chee Hooi by a 37,409-vote majority.

Meanwhile, Tengku Adnan had garnered 9,943 votes in Putrajaya during the election, beating PAS’ Husam Musa by 5,541 votes.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of today’s function, Tan reiterated that Pakatan Harapan would dismantle the Federal Territories Ministry if it comes to power, and provide more autonomy for local councils, including Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

He claimed that Federal Territories Ministry have functions that overlapped with DBKL's, which made even DBKL’s staff feel redundant.

In addition, he said, DBKL has been run with little transparency or oversight, since it answers primarily to the ministry instead of ratepayers.