‘Opposition move won’t hurt us’
> Wan Azizah confident PKR will retain seat despite PAS support for BN
SHAH ALAM: Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has downplayed PAS’ open support for Barisan Nasional (BN) for the Sungai Kandis by-election.
The PKR president said the party’s candidate, Zawawi Ahmad Mughni, has what it takes to retain the PKR seat in the by-election on Aug 4.
“I think the divide-and-contest is between Umno and PKR,” she said after a tea session with Sungai Kandis voters yesterday.
“PAS can give its support to any candidate. But I think our candidate, having the credentials of an ustaz, has what we think will attract the voters. They will give us the support we need to maintain this seat.”
The deputy prime minister was responding to a comment by PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan on Saturday, urging his party supporters to “teach Pakatan Harapan a lesson” in the Sungai Kandis by-election, even if it meant voting for rival Umno.
“We must make sure they lose this byelection. How? By voting this guy right here,” he had said, while pointing to the BN candidate, Umno’s Datuk Lokman Noor Adam.
PKR’s Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei, who died on July 2 due to cancer, won the seat with 23,998 votes in the recent polls, compared to 11,518 votes secured by BN’s Datuk Kamaruzzaman Johari, 7,573 by PAS’ Mohd Yusof Abdullah and 76 votes by Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Hanafiah Husin.
On another matter, Wan Azizah said she would remain neutral about the race for the party’s deputy-presidency, that will most likely see current vice-president Rafizi Ramli contesting against Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali. Polling: Aug 4
“I support everyone in PKR and I think this is a democratic and healthy practice. Competitions allow our party to grow,” she said.
On former premier Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s claim that the rakyat were unhappy with Pakatan Harapan since it took over as the government, Wan Azizah said: “We have just been the government for many days. They have been here for 60 years.”