PRM denies being sponsored to split Malay vote in KKB

 

Hafizah Zainuddin refuted claims that PRM is friendly with Pakatan Harapan.

HULU SELANGOR: Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) candidate Hafizah Zainuddin has denied being sponsored to split the Malay vote in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election on May 11.

Hafizah said the party is contesting because it wants to win votes across the board, not just from the Malay community, which makes up 46% of the 40,226 voters in the constituency.

“We are entering the by-election not to split the Malay votes, but because all races are represented in PRM, including Chinese and Indians.

“We have never been contacted by any party to sponsor us to contest in the by-election. This (contesting) is the decision of the PRM leadership,” she told FMT.

Hafizah also denied claims that PRM is friendly with Pakatan Harapan, which is fielding Pang Sock Tao of DAP, which has held the seat since 2013.

“If we were friendly, we would have joined the PH coalition long ago, but we still stick to our stance of going solo to uphold our principles.

“In fact, my late father-in-law (Ariffin Salimon), who was also a former PRM president, advised not to join any coalition just to win,” she said.

She acknowledged that the decision to contest in the by-election was made at the last minute on April 27.

Apart from Pang and Hafizah, the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election features Perikatan Nasional’s Khairul Azhari Saut and independent candidate Nyau Ke Xin.

The by-election was called following the death of three-term assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong r on March 21 from cancer.

In the Selangor election last August, Lee won by a majority of 4,119 votes.

There are 40,226 eligible voters in Kuala Kubu Baharu, comprising 39,362 ordinary voters, 625 policemen and women, 238 military personnel and spouses, as well as one overseas voter. - FMT