Malaysian opposition unveils multiracial line-up in key state

MALAYSIA: The new ethnic Chinese chief minister of Malaysia’s Penang state on Wednesday picked a Malay and an Indian as his deputies, underlining the opposition’s multiracial image.

Lim Guan Eng, head of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), was appointed chief minister Tuesday after a stunning performance in weekend polls which handed Penang and three other states to a three-party opposition alliance.

Lim, who will govern one of the nation’s richest states and the only one dominated by ethnic Chinese, appointed Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin from the Keadilan party and the DAP’s P. Ramasamy to serve with him. Ramasamy, a former political science lecturer at the National University of Malaysia, described his appointment as “an historic moment.”

“There has never been an ethnic Indian deputy chief minister before and the appointment shows the DAP is living up to its electoral promise to represent all races,” he said.

Analysts said Lim’s efforts will cement the opposition’s unprecedented polls performance against the Barisan Nasional

Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday, AFP