KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 -- Skudai's first term DAP assemblyman Marina Ibrahim's announcement that she is quitting politics for good shocked many including her own party, as it prepares to face a critical state election in which Barisan Nasional is seen as the favourite to win again.

Marina's announcement, issued just two days before Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi dissolved the state legislative assembly, fueled speculation about growing friction within the state's DAP chapter.

Just hours after the announcement, a letter believed to be written by her was circulated on the internet. In the letter, Marina purportedly explained her decision, including that she had been asked to vacate her Skudai seat help her party win Tiram, a Mala...