Penang Bersatu chief picked as senator

Penang Bersatu chief Marzuki Yahya, who lost by 81 votes to BN's Shabudin Yahya in the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat in GE14, has been picked as one of the senators under the party's quota.

Marzuki, a businessperson who resides in Butterworth, said he was informed about his senatorship post by the party's leadership.

"I have been informed about the matter but I do not know when we will be sworn-in," Marzuki told reporters after a Hari Raya open house in Sungai Dua, Butterworth tonight.

"We leave it to the Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to decide the date," Marzuki said.

"I am made to understand that we have even yet to decide who is the parliamentary speaker, so let's wait for the official announcement," he added.

On the election petition which was filed in the High Court last week, Marzuki said he was confident the case will be favourable to him.

Asked about the possibility of him being appointed as a deputy minister, he said: "Let's wait as I have not heard anything yet."

To date, speculation has been rife that the other Pakatan Harapan candidate, DAP's Liew Chin Tong, who lost by 303 votes to MCA's Wee Ka Siong in Ayer Hitam, Johor, would be appointed a senator so that he can assume the deputy defence minister post. 

Meanwhile, Marzuki acknowledged that Harapan's Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) issue has been promised in the election manifesto.

"I understand that the Education Ministry will discuss the issue in the cabinet. 

"Let us all hope this issue will be resolved properly because this is not a racial issue but an education issue. Let the Education Ministry deal with it," he said.

Marzuki admitted there were many negative remarks about the UEC issue, especially in the opposition (PAS and Umno) camp as they are trying to garner support from the Malay community by turning it into a racial issue.

"It is an education issue, our former BN minister Hishammuddin Hussein's son also studied in Beijing, China, so what is the big deal?"  

According to Marzuki, the Aidilfitri event organised by Bersatu was attended by about 5,000 people.

Kedah Menteri Bersatu Mukhriz Mahathir, Penang executive councillors Phee Boon Poh, Dr Afif Bahardin and Zairil Khir Johari, and Bersatu's Permatang Berangan candidate Shariff Omar attended the event. -Mkini