KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional (PN) will capitalise on the apparent infighting within the unity government in the run-up to the coming Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election on May 11.
According to PN elections director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, MCA’s decision to only support the unity government’s election machinery for the poll if a candidate is fielded from Barisan Nasional (BN) will benefit the opposition coalition.
“Yes, this (MCA refusing to support a non-BN candidate) poses advantages to us (PN),” Sanusi said today when met by the media after a PN supreme council meeting at its headquarters in Publika.
“Sudah ada retak, jadi kita akan belahkan (There are already cracks, so we’ll make sure that they split up).”
Sanusi, who is also Kedah menteri besar, asserted that there are no such elements of apparent sabotage within PN, stressing that the coalition will work as one to support its candidate of choice.
He also said that while grassroots sentiments on their preferred candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election were considered by party leaders, the final decision on who will vie for the state assembly seat remains a party decision.
“Grassroots (supporters) will follow the party’s decision, (as) they have no say in determining a candidate. We consider their views, but when the party makes a decision, we have to consider more important matters.”
On April 19, MCA’s political development committee announced that if the proposed candidate for the by-election is not a member of any BN component party, it will not participate in any campaign efforts.
This decision, which was made despite BN being part of the unity government alongside Pakatan Harapan (PH), has since been downplayed by BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Mohamad, who is also Umno deputy president, said that BN component parties are required to help the candidate representing the unity government, as it respects the honoured system that the incumbent party will be given priority to field its candidate.
“Now that it is DAP’s turn as the incumbent, our understanding is that when there is a death, that party is given priority (for the candidate),” Mohamad was reported as saying the day after MCA announced its stance.
The Election Commission has set the polling date for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election on May 11, with April 27 as the candidate nomination day.
The state seat was vacated following the death of DAP assemblywoman Lee Kee Hiong, who died of ovarian cancer last month. She had held the seat for PH since 2013. – April 22, 2024