JOHOR BAHARU, March 31- The problem of tussling for seats among the opposition pact is seen as worsening when Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) announces its candidates who will be contesting in the coming 13th general election.
As if fearing the DAP would continue to seize other seats which were contested by PKR, the party made an announcement to field its candidates to contest in the Johor Jaya, Tangkak and Pengkalan Rinting State Assembly seats and the Segamat Parliament.
Johor PKR vice-chairman Hasan Karim said, the State PKR would not allow its seats to taken away one by one based on illogical excuses.
“Yes, we concur and accept in the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat but once is enough, surely not all good seats are to be taken, that is not good. We work hard and have the support of the grassroots,” he said at a media conference at the PKR office, here, today.
He also announced that PKR Legal Bureau director Jimmy Puah Wee Tse would be contesting for the Johor Jaya State seat which was contested by Parti Rakyat Malaysia in the previous general election.
“The State Leadership Council (MPN) will not give in and take over the Johor Jaya state seat. We have locked Johor Jaya and PKR will contest there.
“We are not demanding (Johor Jaya) from anybody, we only defend it in the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat where the DAP adviser is given passage in Gelang Patah in exchange for Segamat Parliament,” he said.
He said, it was the firm decision of Johor MPN and he was prepared to be responsible on the announcement he made if it was wrong to do so.
“This is a stand, we are serious about this and we will not compromise. We gave way for Gelang Patah, but we will defend Johor Jaya,” he said.
He also hoped the party leadership would accept the names of the candidates which would be submitted by the state PKR later.
Meanwhile, at the same press conference, MPN deputy chairman Dr Ahmad Faidhi Saidi said, the decision to contest in all the seats was made during a MPN meeting on March 28 at the Ayer Hitam PKR branch office which he himself
chaired.
“Almost 90 percent of the state MPN members attended and we decided that the Segamat Parliamentary, Johor Jaya, Tangkak and Pengkalan Rinting State Assembly seats belong to PKR.
“We will also ask for five more state seats because PAS is contesting too many state seats, 30 of the 56 state assembly seats of which 50 percent are in Johor,” he said.
According to Dr Ahmad, as a result of the meeting the state MPN also proposed that PKR deputy president Mohd Azmin Ali would head the Johor general election campaign.
In the coming general election, he said PKR aspired to contest in more than 10 state seats and 10 parliamentary seats.
– BERNAMA
