PKR vice president Datuk Chua Jui Meng said today that he has yet to be offered a parliamentary seat to contest in the 13th general election.
However, the veteran politician said he was still willing to contest if Pakatan Rakyat offered him a seat.
After going “missing” for weeks, the Johor PKR chief today held a press conference to clear the air over the squabble with DAP for the Gelang Patah seat.
Clarifying he was on leave for two weeks, Chua said though he would prefer not to stand in the upcoming elections, he had been persuaded to contest by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
After PKR had “lost” the Gelang Patah seat (which it contested in the 2008 general election) to DAP this time around, Chua had been hopeful of getting the Bakri seat in return. However, DAP has reportedly refused to yield the seat to PKR.
"I'm just saying I really do not have a house to go to. I was told to leave my house. Of course, the party offered various constituencies belonging to DAP but unfortunately up till now no doors have been open to me," Chua told a packed room at the PKR headquarters here.
"I wish I did not have to stand but if I was given a chance to change the country, how can I turn it down?"
"If I am offered a seat, I will contest," he added.
He also said he supported DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang's move to contest in Gelang Patah, a seat Chua had reportedly been eyeing earlier.
"I am honoured the person who is going to take over from me in Gelang Patah is Lim Kit Siang.
"He (Lim) is an honourable man who is persistent in the struggle for change in this country and I am proud to be contributing towards his struggle," he said, adding that Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman decision to go up against Lim is Umno and BN's strategy to get rid of the senior politician.
"It is obvious they don't want Ghani," Chua added.
He said PKR had been eyeing 12 Johor parliamentary seats but was finally allocated 11 with Lim's moving in to contest in Gelang Patah.
"We have very good people who will be candidates and I am not in the business to usurp anyone's seats and I will not ask anyone to step down for me to contest," Chua said, adding that after two weeks of introspection and reflection, he was of the view that he has an 'enviable' position and needed no seat to contest for power.
"If I do contest, I win. If I don't contest, I win as well," Chua said.
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