P Ramasamy said “historically”, Chinese voters have been mobilised to vote against Barisan Nasional or Umno, with these two parties seen as DAP’s traditional adversaries.

He said many within this community are confused or frustrated by being asked to support Umno, as the enmity between the two parties is well-established.

Ramasamy, who now heads Urimai, said DAP could not simply redefine its allies and enemies overnight, especially when recent remarks from Umno leaders had alienated many Chinese voters.

He said it was therefore possible that the poison pen letters could have stemmed from dissatisfaction within DAP itself, particularly among local factions in Johor.

“These groups may be unhappy with DAP’s partnership with Umno and are seeking to exert pressure, possibly to push for a unity government in Johor or to voice opposition to this alliance.

“While the DAP leadership may not be directly involved, disgruntled local members could be behind the toxic letters,” he said in a statement.

On Saturday, Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi revealed that she had received complaints regarding the distribution of letters written in Mandarin at several housing areas.

Wong, who is the Kluang Pakatan Harapan by-election coordinator, labelled the distribution of such letters a “dirty tactic”.

Ramasamy said it was common to assume that Perikatan Nasional might be behind the poison pen letters urging Chinese voters to reject BN candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah of Umno in the Sept 28 by-election.

He said while PN could not be ruled out, it was unlikely the opposition would benefit from this tactic, as Chinese voters were not expected to support PN.

“So, while the origins of the poison pen letters remain uncertain, it’s plausible they are driven by disillusionment within the Chinese community, particularly among those unhappy with DAP’s evolving relationship with Umno,” he said.