GEORGE TOWN, April 1 – Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Teng Chang Yeow(pic) has reiterated his condition to decide the seat when contesting Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in a straight fight at the upcoming 13th General Election.
“I still maintain that I will decide the seat. As the chief minister, he should be bold enough to face voters from different ethnic groups. He stands for Malaysians in his political struggle.
“Therefore, seats which reflect a multi-racial composition will be a good ground for both parties. This contest is not about individuals, it’s about policies,” he said at a press conference here today.
Yesterday, Lim said he was ready to give up his Parliamentary seat if Teng agreed to contest in the Padang Kota state constituency and that he would not accept the challenge if Teng wished to contest in a constituency of his choice. Teng, however, said he would like to contest in a multiracial seat as it would reflect the acceptance of the policies by both parties.
“The seat must reflect the multiethnic composition to show that at least all the races have accepted the policies. If you go to the Chinese majority, how can you say that the Indians and the Malays have agreed to your policies,” he said.
Teng, who is Gerakan secretary-general, said one-third of the total 40 seats in the state assembly consisted of a balanced percentage of voters and so far he has identified two such seats that may fit this criteria. He said he will make the final decision in the near future after conveying the matter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Queried as to what next if Lim did not take up the challenge if it was not the Padang Kota seat, Teng said: “It’s up to him. My statement is clear – I will decide on the seat.”
BERNAMA
