Streram is Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for Rantau
PETALING JAYA: PKR’s Rembau division deputy chief Dr S. Streram is Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for the Rantau by-election, set to take place on April 13.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Dr Streram was chosen based on several criteria, which included academic qualifications, track record and experience as the Rantau district coordinator, as well as the unfair defeat that he suffered in the 14th General Election (GE14).
He said the decision was made based on the principles of safeguarding mutual interests and on selecting an Indian candidate. These matters, he said, were tabled in the PH Presidential Council chaired by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on March 9.
“This was also done to show that PH is unaffected by external pressures, which are demanding a Malay candidate for the seat.
“We understand that there are bigger issues in Rantau apart from those involving Malay leadership, such as poverty, which also affects the Indian and Chinese communities.
“Although there is plenty of talk over a Malay candidate, PKR will not be drawn into this as we believe in upholding the principle of racial equality.
“Issues concerning the Malays and religion will be used throughout the campaigning. Nevertheless, 27 per cent of the voter population is Indian, and our struggle is not race-based,” said Anwar during a press conference to announce the PH candidate for the by-election at the PKR headquarters here.
However, the event was not attended by representatives of other PH components, including Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
Dr Streram, an anaesthetist by profession, was the PKR candidate for the seat in GE14 but was unable to submit his nomination papers when he was denied entry into the nomination centre because he did not have a pass issued by the Election Commission.
He filed a petition to challenge the results of the Rantau GE14 elections, which eventually led to the Seremban High Court revoking the win by Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Anwar, meanwhile, said PH would go all out to win the Rantau seat, even though it was expected to face a tough challenge in the form of Mohamad, the acting Umno president, who will represent BN in the polls.