DPM to consider PPP's request to contest in KL

Deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has announced his willingness for the People Progressive Party's Federal Territories (FT) chief A Chandrakumanan to contest in a Kuala Lumpur seat should he be a winnable candidate.

Responding to a open request by PPP president M Kayveas during the party's FT convention, he said the current BN seat allocation can be reviewed, based on winnability.

"If Chandrakumanan (left) can win in Batu for example, why not we send him to stand in the election," he said.

PPP has not been granted any seat in the capital city where 11 out of 12 parliamentary seats were snapped by Pakatan in the last general election.

Muhyiddin however warned that the most important element to define winnability were the wishes of the rakyat.

Without naming names, he said even if a BN leader was able to helm his party uncontested, it did not mean that he was popular with the rakyat.

Muhyiddin (right), who is also the BN Federal Territories chief, urged such leaders to go to the ground to engage the grassroots so that he or she will be well-accepted both internally and externally.

PPP claimed they have registered some 100,000 new voters in the aftermath of the 2008 general election, and Kayveas commended the FT wing for being one of the  "most active PPP divisions" in the country.

Chandrakumanan, when met by Malaysiakini later, said he intended to contest in the Batu, Bandar Tun Razak or Setiawangsa seats, all of which he said he is active in.

However, he said the final decision is left with the BN leadership.