DAP central executive committee member Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali said this was discussed at a meeting on Saturday involving the party’s strategic director Liew Chin Tong and former Yong Peng assemblyman Alan Tee.

Sheikh Umar, who failed to wrest the Ayer Hitam seat from Wee in the 2022 general election (GE15), said they had discussed current issues as well as ways to strengthen DAP.

“In Johor, DAP’s priority is to strengthen our grassroots and continue serving the local community. DAP will continue to champion policies at the local, state and federal levels that will ensure the welfare of Johoreans.

“For the record, the Yong Peng state seat was won by DAP in the 2013 and 2018 general elections, while the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat has been held by Wee since 2004.

“DAP and Pakatan Harapan will continue our efforts to help the people while preparing for the next general election,” he said in a Facebook post.

Liew came close to wresting Ayer Hitam from Wee in the 2018 polls but lost by a margin of 303 votes. In GE15, the MCA president defeated Sheikh Umar with a stronger majority of 2,963 votes.

The Yong Peng state seat is currently held by MCA Youth chief and Johor executive councillor Ling Tian Soon.