2007 Machap by-election

The seat in the state assembly of Malacca, Malaysia, fell vacant after the incumbent, Datuk Wira Poh Ah Tiam of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), died on 15 March that year.

[2] The English language daily The Star reported on 17 March 2007 that the opposition People's Justice Party (PKR) was the first to express interest in contesting the seat, with its information chief Tian Chua as the likely candidate.

[3] Meanwhile, on 20 March 2007, the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) declared it would not field a candidate in the by-election, citing the fact that the seat has traditionally been a DAP versus BN contest.

Those linked to Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, the Malaysian Minister of Human Resources, MP for Alor Gajah and MCA vice-president, were named as possible BN candidates.

[6] From the opposition camp, besides PKR's Tian Chua, potential candidates from the DAP include Liou Chen Kuang, whom Poh had beaten in the last general election, or Tey Kok Kiew, special assistant to the party's secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

The chosen candidate will be revealed after obtaining formal approval from the BN chairman, incumbent Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

[15] Due to alleged irregularities in the Malaysian election process, two major opposition parties, PAS and DAP, boycotted the January 2007 Batu Talam State by-election in Pahang, which the BN won after defeating an independent candidate.

[17][18] A December 2006 survey by independent social research outfit the Merdeka Centre, found that 60% of Chinese voters nationwide were open to voting for the opposition.

[19] Furthermore, the deceased Datuk Wira Poh Ah Tiam was popular and had a good service record in Machap, having served for three consecutive terms and bringing tangible development in the constituency.

[22] In a post-election analysis, senior DAP leader Tony Pua alleged that although BN and Lai had been caught in the act offering to renovate houses and passing out free food and drinks, in direct contravention of electoral laws, the Election Commission had taken no action.

[23] The DAP later filed a complaint with the EC over the alleged vote-buying incidents, including claims that the government had announced development projects to secure support.