‘Traditional seats’ no more a factor in PN, says Gerakan

 

Gerakan president Dominic Lau criticised PAS for making an issue of the DAP candidate’s vernacular school background. (Bernama pic)

KUALA KUBU BAHARU: Gerakan president Dominic Lau says “traditional seats” are no longer a factor in seat allocation among Perikatan Nasional components, citing the situation involving the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.

Lau said a candidate’s ability to win was the bigger priority for PN, instead of the previous practice of having traditional seats allocated to certain parties, as when Gerakan was part of Barisan Nasional.

“PN isn’t like BN, where certain parties are prioritised for seats. There is no seat that belongs to Bersatu, Gerakan or PAS,” he said. “That’s why at the early stages of choosing our candidate, we all listed our suggested candidates and left it to the top leadership to decide.”

Gerakan had wanted to field Henry Teoh, who had contested the seat previously or its women’s wing leader Muniraa Abu Bakar, but later agreed to PN fielding Khairul Azhari Saut of Bersatu “to ensure a PN victory on May 11”, he told reporters while campaigning for the PN candidate here.

Khairul is in a four-cornered fight for the state seat, against Pakatan Harapan’s Pang Sock Tao, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Hafizah Zainuddin and independent candidate Nyau Ke Xin.

PN had fielded Gerakan’s Teoh for the state elections last August. The seat was won by the late Lee Kee Hiong of DAP for a third term. Lee died on March 21.

Lau criticised PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari for raising an issue over Pang’s vernacular school background, saying PN’s campaign should focus on shining the spotlight on the opposition coalition’s candidate rather than attacking others.

“Put aside such campaign methods because we only have two weeks to win over the people’s support and ensure a PN victory,” he said. - FMT