Barisan: We are ready for a challenge in Port Dickson

SEREMBAN: Bring him on – that is the terse message of Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (pic) on talk that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will contest the Port Dickson parliamentary seat.

“Rest assured that Barisan Nasional is not going to make it easy for Pakatan Harapan ... even if Anwar is fielded,” he said yesterday.

Asked whether there was a possibility that Umno might contest the seat instead of MIC, the former Negri Sembilan mentri besar said this would be discussed.

“This is a by-election and we must field a winnable candidate.

“We should not allow ourselves to be bound by our seat distribution formula in such a situation,” he added.

Teluk Kemang MCA chief Datuk Seri King Lim Chin Fui expressed confidence that Barisan would do better if a by-election was called in Port Dickson.

“Although this by-election is totally unnecessary and a waste of taxpayers money, we will fight it out, even if Anwar is contesting.

“The electorate had only just picked their candidate and now we are going to have a by-election,” he said.

Lim, who lost his bid for the Chuah state seat in the May 9 general election, said the people should be able to see that Anwar only wanted to get back to Parliament quickly due to the internal strife in Pakatan.

“He seems to be very impatient and because of this, voters have to go back to the ballot box.

“Voters should also be able to gauge that Pakatan has done nothing much for the state and country since winning the general election four months ago and that’s why we stand a better chance this time,” he said.

MIC Information chief Datuk V.S. Mogan, who contested and lost the seat in the last two general elections, said Barisan stood a good chance of wresting the seat.

“The seat had been our stronghold in the past and in the 2013 general election, we only lost by 1,579 votes.

“I know we lost with a much bigger majority in the May 9 polls, but Pakatan has since failed to fulfil its manifesto pledges,” Mogan said.