DAP-MCA joust for Bkt Bintang

The possibility of a three-cornered tussle for DAP’s jewel in the crown, the Bukit Bintang parliamentary seat, fizzled out minutes before nomination hour for the seat began at the Victoria Institution secondary school this morning.

Two-time former candidate Lim Peng Soon (aka Billi Lim) did not turn up leaving MCA’s Dr Lee Chong Meng to slug it out against DAP incumbent Fong Kui Lun (photo, left).

Lim is contesting in Kelana Jaya instead. There was even speculation that Bukit Bintang could see a four-way fight with MDP secretary-general Wee Choo Keong entering the fray.

PKR, however, announced on Thursday that Wee would contest under its banner in Wangsa Maju against MCA’s Yew Teong Look.

For Fong (photo, right), the absence of Lim does not matter. "It’s true that we were expecting a three-way battle for this election but our main rival for Bukit Bintang has always been MCA," the two-term assemblyman said. "It (the withdrawal) just makes it clearer."

Surprisingly, amid all the hype associated in the past with the Bukit Bintang seat, both sides turned up at the nomination centre this morning with no more than 150 people per side.

DAP fans, in their traditional white, pipped their rivals slightly in terms of number. This translated to a higher decibel level but when spread out on the football field in front of the school, the voices from both sides amounted to no more than the volume you get while watching a game of golf.

What was conspicuously missing was the lack of MCA supporters. If not for supporters from The Malaysian Indian Muslim Association (Kimma) and the National Union of Bank Employees (Nube), Lee’s cheer squad would have been even smaller.

Nomination was an equally subdued matter. Other than both parties protesting certain minor technicalities (clerical errors in writing down the candidates’ occupation and addresses), there was little drama.

"There were four protests from DAP and two from MCA but I found the errors to be trivial. The lack of a full-stop and the wrong postcode (478000 instead of 47800) were errors not grave enough for disqualification," said Election Secretariat returning officer (Bukit Bintang) Shaari Ahmad Junid said.

"MCA complained about Fong’s occupation or the lack of one. But there is nothing to say that a candidate must have a job."

And with that he announced that Bukit Bintang will once again see one of the country’s oldest opposition parties do battle against its oldest foe, MCA. Nomination day may have been quiet, but don’t for one minute take for granted the coming 13 days will be as both contenders immediately rushed off to begin their campaigning.