By Lim Kit Siang, MP for Gelang Patah

I have no doubt that if the Teluk Intan by-election on May 31 is decided by Malaysian netizens, the DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud would win hands down in the social media or Internet poll.

I would even put Dyana’s chances of winning in a poll on the social media or Internet as some 85% to 15%.

However, the Teluk Intan by-election on May 31 will not be decided by netizens in Malaysia but by the 60,000 Teluk Intan voters, a substantial percentage of whom are not netizens.

I said yesterday that the DAP is the underdog in the Teluk Intan by-election among all the three different racial groups, and I had rated the DAP’s chances yesterday as 40% to 60%.

What cannot be denied is the excitement and expectation which electrified Malaysians when news of Dyana’s candidature went out, as it triggered hope not only for women and youths, but also to the general Malaysian populace , of the advent of a historic moment in the nation’s history – the smashing of the old mould of the politics of race which had dominated Malaysian politics for close to six decades and its replacement by the politics of Malaysian nationalism with politics based on issues of justice, freedom, the rule of law and good governance.

Political analysts have described the DAP decision to name Dyana as the DAP/PR candidate for Teluk Intan by-election as a “brave” one, implying that although it is a commendable decision and good for the nation it is unlikely to succeed as it is still too premature in the year 2014 for such a “brave decision” to be accepted by the voters as Malaysian politics is still too deeply-rooted in communalism.

DAP does not agree with this old communal school of thought.

We believe that 57 years after Merdeka, the time has come for Malaysians to move beyond communal politics of Chinese support Chinese, Malays support Malays and Indians support Indians, to a higher level where they support as MPs those who are prepared to take a clear stand on issues of justice, freedom, the rule of law and good governance so that Malaysia can become a united, harmonious, progressive, prosperous, competitive and successful nation in the world.

In the Teluk Intan by-election, Mah Siew Keong stands for the saving of Gerakan and the opportunity to become a Minister while Dyana stands for saving Malaysia from becoming a disunited and failed state, which will affect the welfare and future of 30 million Malaysians and our children’s children!

The Teluk Intan by-election is a battle between the future and the past; hope versus despair; the new politics of issues concerning Malaysians versus the old politics of race.

This is why I have described the Teluk Intan by-election of May 31, 2014 as a second opportunity for the voters of Teluk Intan to “write history and create miracle”, which they did in the Teluk Intan by-election of My 17, 1997, and to start a Teluk Intan whirlwind nationwide for political change until there is a change of Federal Government in Putrajaya in the 14GE.

If this battle is fought out in the social media or Internet, Dyana would win hands down.

I am worried however as it is not decided by Malaysian netizens but by the 60,000 voters of Teluk Intan.

For this reason, I want to send out SOS to Malaysian netizens to help out in the Teluk Intan by-election in every way they can as DAP candidate Dyana Sofya faces defeat in the by-election although she would have won hands down in a social media or Internet poll.