Gerakan will have an advantage in Kuala Kubu Baharu, says Lau

 

Gerakan president Dominic Lau said the Indian and Orang Asli voters may very well decide the outcome of the by-election and PN was carrying out a survey on the sentiments on the ground.

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan president Dominic Lau said the party will have an advantage if it is allowed to field a candidate in the impending Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.

Lau said Gerakan had vied for the seat in the state election last August.

“We know the sentiments there and our (potential) candidate is known to the voters,” he told reporters after a breaking of fast event here.

Last year, Gerakan’s Teoh Lien Hong was involved in a four-cornered contest but lost to Pakatan Harapan’s Lee Kee Hiong by a 4,119-vote majority.

However, Lau said Gerakan would back any candidate decided by the Perikatan Nasional leadership, adding that both PAS and Bersatu had their own ideas on who should represent the opposition.

The seat fell vacant after Lee died on March 21, following a battle with cancer.

Lau also revealed that Selangor opposition leader Azmin Ali would lead the PN election machinery.

He said all component parties in PN had been asked to conduct a study on the current sentiments and collect feedback from the ground.

Lau went on to hint that the Orang Asli and ethnic Indians were the kingmakers in the by-election, adding it was critical for the opposition to woo them.

He said Indians accounted for 18% of the voters in the constituency, along with an electoral make-up of Orang Asli (5%), Malay (40%) and Chinese (30%).

“If we (PN) want to win, it is crucial we get the support of the ethnic Indians and Orang Asli.” - FMT