IPOH, April 7 — Perak DAP said today it will have to battle the clock to prevent voter confusion ahead of the 14th general election (GE14), after deciding not to use its "rocket” logo on the ballots.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties will now contest under PKR’s logo, and state DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming admitted that informing voters would be a daunting task, but still feasible.

"It is our duty as DAP members to spread the word. There will be no more ‘golden mountain’, ‘rocket’, or ‘hibiscus flower’,” he told a press conference here.

The three items refer to the logos of the PH component parties other than PKR — Parti Amanah Negara, DAP and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), respectively.

"We will be going all out to explain why we are using the common logo, including during our activities and ceramahs,” he added.

Nga said the common logo represented a new milestone for the Opposition bloc, illustrating their unity and willingness to work together.

When asked if the common logo would cause DAP to lose votes, Nga replied that this was a possibility that the party wanted to avoid.

However, he noted that the move could actually increase Malay support for the Opposition. 

"Before this, Barisan Nasional (BN) said the Opposition couldn’t agree on a common logo or policy. Now, we have proven them all wrong.

"This is a new milestone for us, and I believe this will be the straw that finally breaks the camel’s back [for BN],” he said.

Nga said the decision to leave DAP’s iconic "rocket” behind was not an easy one, as it held a place in many members’ hearts — including his own.

However, he said the move had been accepted by a majority of the party’s grassroots members. 

"Emotions ran high, and there were even some tears shed. In the end, we are human and the logo is important to us,” Nga said.

"But the mission is more important than emotion. A fight needs some sacrifice and we believe this is a positive step towards winning the election.”