Syed Saddiq coy if Muda will contest against PKR

 

JOHOR POLLS | Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman remained coy on whether his youth-led party will contest against PKR in the Johor polls.

Syed Saddiq, when announcing three more Muda candidates in Labis, Johor today, made a commitment not to contest in seats PKR won in the 2018 general election.

However, he made no mention if Muda will contest in Bersatu seats that have been reassigned to PKR after the former quit Pakatan Harapan.

Pressed repeatedly by the media if there will be an overlap during a press conference aired live on Facebook, Syed Saddiq insisted that the matter will be announced at a later time.

Q: Will there be a surprise where Muda contests more than six seats?

Syed Saddiq: For other candidates, we will announce them in the near future. For the total (candidates), it will also be better (to announce) when the time comes.

Q: Have the seats been finalised?

Syed Saddiq: It will be announced in the near future.

Q: More than six or stay at six?

Syed Saddiq: We focus on the four. Other candidates, we will announce in the near future.

Harapan, through Amanah and DAP, gave Muda six seats to contest in.

PKR won't be giving up any seats after talks with Muda broke down. That means if Muda were to contest more than the six seats, there would be clashes.

Syed Saddiq noted that PKR president Anwar Ibrahim had on Feb 19 announced the last batch of all 20 seats it will be contesting.

"I give my commitment, as the Muda president, that I will ensure Muda won't contest in seats won by PKR.

"If you look at the seats we are contesting, they are either Umno or Bersatu seats because we want to focus on long-term change and not the state election alone," he said.

‘We want opposition to win’

Asked if Muda will cooperate with PKR, Syed Saddiq said his party will assist where possible.

"We want the opposition to win. We want change in Johor so the political domino where one after another state government is dissolved will stop," he added.

To date, Muda has announced candidates for Puteri Wangsa, Tenang, Bukit Kepong and Bukit Permai. The remaining two of the six are Machap and Parit Raja.

Bersatu seats that have been reallocated to PKR are Buloh Kasap, Gambir, Semarang, Larkin, Kempas and Benut.

Muda had expressed interest in Larkin and Gambir during its negotiations with PKR, which was only willing to offer the Umno strongholds of Sri Medan, Semarang and Benut. - Mkini