KUALA LUMPUR – Despite being less than two years old, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) has targeted leadership roles in four states, and will also field a ‘sizeable’ portion of youth candidates in the 14th general election (GE14).
It was revealed during the Pakatan Harapan convention last weekend that PPBM would contest 52 federal seats in peninsular Malaysia, ahead of PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), despite being the youngest party in the coalition.
PPBM supreme council member Datuk Rais Hussin, who also heads the party’s policy and strategy bureau, said PPBM has already started shortlisting candidates and has more than one potential candidate for every seat it will contest.
Despite the party being made of many former Umno leaders, Rais said that the youth in the party will get a fair representation among candidates fielded.
“We are a party that is comprised of 57 per cent youths, so you can expect a sizeable chunk of our candidates to be youths with the right knowledge and skills,” Rais told Malay Mail.
“It is going to be a food combination of youth and the wisdom of those who are old and experienced,” he added.
PPBM has its own in-house set of criteria for candidates, and are stringently following the requirements in order to offer the best possible candidates in the seats they will be contesting, Rais said.
The party has also earmarked states where it expects to take a leadership position — Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Johor.
Half of PPBM’s 52 seats are in these four key states — it will contest two out of three federal seats in Perlis, 6 out of the 15 seats in Kedah, 8 out of the 24 seats in Perak, and 10 out of 26 seats in Johor.
“In terms of influence and clout, we are strongest in Johor and Kedah, alongside Perak. So these are the states we have earmarked as PPBM taking a leadership role,” he said.
Kedah is the home state of party chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who recently revealed that he might contest in GE14 either in the Kubang Pasu or Langkawi parliamentary seats.
His son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, who is the deputy president of the party, was also previously the MP for Jerlun and formerly the Kedah Mentri Besar.
PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is a former Johor Mentri Besar, and is also serving his fifth term as the MP for Pagoh in the state.
All three leaders have not confirmed where they will contest the next elections as of yet, but PPBM could wrap up the process soon, Rais said.
“We will announce the candidates for the main constituencies at least soon, once we have finished the vetting and selection process (for candidates),” he said.
– Malay Mail
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