PKR SUBMITS 8 NAMES FOR SERI SETIA SEAT

Party president will announce candidate

SELANGOR PKR has submitted eight names to the party’s leadership for consideration as candidates in the Seri Setia by-election next month.

The menteri besar’s political secretary, Borhan Aman Shah, said the names comprised local and national PKR leaders, both old and new faces, whom Selangor PKR felt fit the criteria of a candidate for the seat.

“We have sent in the names (to the leadership).

“However, the party has not made a final decision and discussions are ongoing.

“The candidate will be announced by PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail a few days before nomination day this Saturday.”

On the call by former Department of Special Affairs directorgeneral Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi for Pas to field former Selangor menteri besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim in Seri Setia, Borhan said PKR had no problem with it.

He said what worried Selangor PKR was the low voter turnout in the Sungai Kandis by-election on Aug 4.

“(Based on) feedback we received… the low turnout was due to the (Sungai Kandis polls being held so soon after) the 14th General Election (GE14).

“People were confident that Pakatan Harapan would win, and, on top of that, Pas voters did not come out to vote.”

Barisan Nasional is expected to give way to Pas to field a candidate in the by-election, which will likely see a straight fight between the Islamist party and PKR.

“We feel that the rakyat will lean towards choosing a party instead of an individual (so the qualities of a candidate may not be as important).

“As seen in GE14, (PKR) was able to cause the Pas candidate to

However, the party has not made a final decision and discussions are ongoing. BORHAN AMAN SHAH

Selangor menteri besar’s political secretary

lose his deposit, as he received very few votes.”

The Seri Setia seat was declared vacant following the death of its incumbent, Professor Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin, who died of colon cancer on Aug 2.

In GE14, Shaharuddin won the seat with a 19,372-vote majority, defeating BN’s Yusoff M. Haniff, Pas’s Mohd Ghazali Daud and independent S. Vigneswaran.