BUKIT MERTAJAM: Former Pakatan Harapan assemblymen are not perturbed by claims of a backlash against them if they contest as Perikatan Nasional candidates at the coming state assembly elections.
Khaliq Mehtab Ishaq, Zulkifli Ibrahim and Dr Afif Bahardin were elected to the Penang state assembly on a PH ticket in 2018. They were expelled from the assembly in March.
Khaliq, who was the former Bertam assemblyman, said he is not concerned about voter backlash since he had done his best in serving his constituents.
“Yes, I won using the PKR logo and subsequently joined PN. But the most important thing is my commitment to the work done in my constituency,” he told FMT.
Under the state’s anti-hopping law, all three were all deemed to have “lost” their seats after Bersatu left PH.
Zulkifli, the former Sungai Acheh assemblyman, also said the constituents can evaluate him based on past performance.
He said he was among the first assemblymen to have mobilised food basket deliveries to affected households during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.
While all three have expressed their intention to contest in the state polls, they said the decision rests on PN’s top leadership.
Afif, who was the Seberang Jaya assemblyman, said that he has been involved in several discussions with Bersatu.
“I believe PN will field the best and winnable candidate for all the seats to be contested in the next state election,” he told FMT, adding that he is confident that PN will be able to win Seberang Jaya, and other state seats in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency such as Penanti and Permatang Pasir.
Khaliq said that PN is likely to win Bertam as well, as the constituency is predominantly Malay.
Former Teluk Bahang assemblyman Zolkifly Md Lazim who was also sacked along with the three has not commented on whether he will be contesting.
FMT has sought his comments. - FMT
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