With the Teluk Intan polling day around the corner, Prime Minister Najib Razak has announced that BN candidate Mah Siew Keong will be made a cabinet minister if he wins.
"I can make a commitment here, if Mah wins the Teluk Intan by-election, then by virtue of being Gerakan president, he will be appointed a member of the cabinet," Bernama reported Najib telling the Malaysian media covering his six-day visit to China.
The PM said as one of the founding members of BN, it has been the practice thus far to have the president of Gerakan to be a cabinet member.
Asked about the ministry that would be offered to Mah, Najib said it was too early to decide on that.
"No...that comes later," he added.
It is possibly a last ditch attempt to up the stakes as Mah fights a fierce battle for the Perak parliamentary seat vacated following the death of DAP incumbent Seah Leong Peng on May 1.
The Gerakan veteran and party chief is facing DAP's young first-timer Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, political secretary to Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang.
BN has been luring Teluk Intan voters with the prospect of having their elected MP as a cabinet minister in hopes of winning back the seat from DAP.
DAP: Mah would be minister anyway
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng meanwhile commented Najib's announcement was unnecessary as Mah would be made a minister regardless of the election results.
Speaking to a 2,000 strong crowd at Jalan Mahkota in Teluk Intan town tonight, Lim reminded how former Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon and MIC president G Palanivel had lost in the general elections, but both were eventually given ministerial posts anyway.
He said it did not matter if the duo entered from the front door or the back door, they were eventually made ministers anyway.
Urging voters not to fall for the carrot, he said, "Regardless of the by-election result, Mah will benefit."
"I can make a commitment here, if Mah wins the Teluk Intan by-election, then by virtue of being Gerakan president, he will be appointed a member of the cabinet," Bernama reported Najib telling the Malaysian media covering his six-day visit to China.
The PM said as one of the founding members of BN, it has been the practice thus far to have the president of Gerakan to be a cabinet member. Asked about the ministry that would be offered to Mah, Najib said it was too early to decide on that.
"No...that comes later," he added.
It is possibly a last ditch attempt to up the stakes as Mah fights a fierce battle for the Perak parliamentary seat vacated following the death of DAP incumbent Seah Leong Peng on May 1.
The Gerakan veteran and party chief is facing DAP's young first-timer Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, political secretary to Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang.
BN has been luring Teluk Intan voters with the prospect of having their elected MP as a cabinet minister in hopes of winning back the seat from DAP.
DAP: Mah would be minister anyway
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng meanwhile commented Najib's announcement was unnecessary as Mah would be made a minister regardless of the election results.
Speaking to a 2,000 strong crowd at Jalan Mahkota in Teluk Intan town tonight, Lim reminded how former Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon and MIC president G Palanivel had lost in the general elections, but both were eventually given ministerial posts anyway.
He said it did not matter if the duo entered from the front door or the back door, they were eventually made ministers anyway.
Urging voters not to fall for the carrot, he said, "Regardless of the by-election result, Mah will benefit."
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