PKR has decided on its candidate for the upcoming Permatang Pauh by-election, said its organising secretary Fariz Musa.
Without giving any hint on the person's identity, he said the party leadership made the unanimous decision on Saturday.
Fariz said the candidate would be presented to the Pakatan Rakyat presidential council soon for the collective approval of all component parties.
"I think the party has made its best decision. The announcement will be made by the party leadership at the right time," he said yesterday after the launch of Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa)'s Permatang Pauh by-election voluntary unit that would be assisting PR in the campaign.
The nomination day for the by-election falls on April 25 while polling day has been set on May 7.
The Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat fell vacant after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong rejected Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's pardon application.
Anwar is currently serving a five-year jail term for sodomy. His conviction was upheld by the Federal Court on February 10.
Asked if Anwar, who is PKR de facto leader, had consented the selection, Fariz who is a PKR supreme council member, said the former had left it to the party leadership to make the decision.
He said it was not necessary for the candidate to be a Permatang Pauh local, as long as the person was loyal to the party and able to continue Anwar's legacy.
"I am from Marang but I contested in Pekan against (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib Razak (in the last general election).”
Fariz said the campaign would focus on national issues like the goods and services tax (GST), and local issues affecting the people, with local councillors having given their commitment to see to problems faced on the ground.
He said there would also be need to explain to the people about Anwar's sodomy conviction to counter the propaganda of Barisan Nasional.
The Jingga 13 chief coordinator said the campaign would see all PR parties and PasMa, as well as other non-governmental organisations, working together to defend the seat.
He said state PKR chief Datuk Mansor Othman has been appointed the election director, while Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim of DAP and Parit Buntar MP Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa of PAS would lead the election machinery of their respective parties in Permatang Pauh.
"There is no issue of boycott by PAS. There was no such statement issued that PAS is staying out of the by-election.
"Representing PAS in the campaign for Permatang Pauh is Mujahid. It is all propaganda," he said when asked about talk circulating in the social media that the Islamist party was boycotting the by-election because PKR did not support its hudud bill.
Earlier, Fariz said it was not true that the PKR or its president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was against hudud.
"PKR is not against it. The party's position is that the law should be debated in detail to ensure that it would not be made a cruel law."
Fariz also welcomed PasMa's initiative to set up the voluntary unit to help reach out to voters and explain issues to them.
He said they would all need to work to convince outstation voters to return home to vote.
He said it was important for the coalition to stand united and to throw out whatever negative perceptions among the component parties.
"Our opponent now is BN," he added.
Ties in PR were recently strained after the PAS-led Kelantan government tabled and passed amendments to the Shariah Criminal Code II Enactment last month. PKR and DAP had accused the Islamist party of failing to respect the PR pact.
- TMI
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