IPOH - Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties in Perak have reached an understanding that they will respect the decision on selection of the coalition's candidates for the next general election, Menteri Besar and State BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said Thursday.
He said they arrived at the agreement to ensure that the BN wins the election and gets the mandate to continue to administer the state.
"That's our deal and determination this time. The leaders of all the (Perak BN) component parties have agreed that we will not question the selection of candidates or turn the question of candidates into a major issue. The important thing is that the BN must win," he said.
Dr Zambry spoke to reporters after a special interview on the "Selamat Pagi Bersama Menteri Besar Perak" (Good Morning with the Perak Menteri Besar) programme aired live by the Perakfm radio station.
He was asked to comment on a report on the tussle for seats among the opposition DAP, PAS and PKR in Perak.
Dr Zambry said any confusion among the opposition parties would give BN the advantage in the election.
He also said that the fragility of the opposition pact, resulting from each of the parties wanting to gain power not only in the states but also at the federal level, had brought about the tussle for seats.
"In the final analysis, all the three parties want to ensure that their presence is greatly felt and hence the tussle, all the more so in Perak," he said.
Dr Zambry said he was sure the DAP wants its presence most felt in the state because even with 18 seats won in the last general election, they had to submit to PAS which held only six seats for the post of menteri besar when the pact administered Perak for 11 months after the 2008 general election.
PAS, PKR and DAP had contested 21, 20 and 18 seats respectively in the 2008 election. DAP won all the 18 seats it contested while PKR and PAS won seven and six seats, respectively.
On the BN's chances of retaining power in Perak, Dr Zambry said the BN can win the majority of the seats and expressed the hope that there would not be any acts of sabotage against the coalition.
He said the switching of seats among the BN component parties is nothing new and is expected to take place also in the next general election to adjust to the needs of the candidates and voter composition for the benefit of the coalition.
On the interview programme, Dr Zambry said it was another measure to enable media practitioners to get answers directly and spontaneously from the menteri besar on economic, social and political developments in the state.
The 90-minute programme starting from 8.10 am will be broadcast once a month and was his approach to channelling important information directly to the media and radio listeners, he said.
Asked for developments on his going to the ground since assuming the post of menteri besar, Dr Zambry said it was the most popular programme among the people.
"I find that the people like the programme very much because they get the opportunity to meet the menteri besar and bring up their problems to be resolved," he said.
- Bernama
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.