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We need more Dyanas in Malaysian politics, says Marina

 

Despite the criticism surrounding Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir has praised the DAP candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election for sticking to her guns, and questioned the Barisan Nasional on its lack of young, female candidates

“I don’t care what party she is from. She is young, female and we don’t see that around... well, give me the BN equivalent of that.

“Have you got any of that? Or someone? I support young women,” she told The Malaysian Insider today.

The daughter of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir said the rising number of outstanding Malay women politicians were mostly from the opposition, with the most prominent being PKR's Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

Nurul Izzah is the daughter of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

While Marina declined to comment on remarks from Dyana's mother yesterday, which had gone viral on social media, she did praise Dyana for standing up to her ideals.

The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday Dyana’s mother Yammy Samat, an Umno member, said she had tried to raise Dyana like Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, but her daughter ended up being like Marina.

Yammy was replying to Dr Mahathir’s criticism of allowing her daughter to ‎contest on a DAP ticket.

"I tried to raise her like‎ Mukhriz, but she ended up like Marina. I give all my children the freedom to choose what is right and wrong. Dyana is old enough to think as it is," she told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

Dyana, a 27-year-old Perak-born lawyer and UiTM graduate, joined the DAP in 2011. She rose to prominence for being the political-secretary to DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, for being the DAP candidate in the Teluk Intan by-election, and for speaking out against Umno supreme council member Datuk Razali Ibrahim on the pro-Bumiputera policies of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

Her rebuttal earned her praises from Marina, who in a Facebook post on Monday defended Dyana, saying that she is a “smart” individual who was well ahead of “most politicians”.

“Very smart girl this... she can think, she can articulate, she can write. That’s three up from most politicians already,” said Marina.

“Very few of the top gun politicians write their own speeches, let alone any articles.

“In any case, why are people so against her because she is young? (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib Razak was 26 when he first became a minister. Dyana’s 27 and only vying for a parliamentary seat. We need more young people because they bring fresh ideas,” she said.

Dyana will be facing Gerakan’s Mah Siew Keong in the Teluk Intan by-election on May 31.The by-election was triggered by Seah’s death due to cancer on May 1.

The seat has 23,301 Malay voters (38.6%), 25,310 Chinese voters (41.9%) and 11,468 Indian voters A total of 60,349 registered voters consisting of 59,927 ordinary voters, 410 early voters and 12 overseas absentee voters are eligible to vote in the by-election. - May 21, 2014.