KEPALA BATAS, April 11 – The Penang Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) announcement that a PKR candidate will represent the opposition coalition for the Sungai Acheh state assembly seat, Nibong Tebal, near here, left the Penang PAS bewildered as an agreement had already been made for PAS to contest for the seat. State PAS commissioner Datuk Mohd Salleh Man said state PKR chairman Datuk Mansor Othman’s announcement was regarded as going against the coalition’s decision made two days ago at the central level.
“I’m bringing back the mandate decided on by PAS after discussions between the three component parties that the Sungai Acheh seat belonged to PAS.
“PAS’ decision that we will contest in Sugnai Acheh was final and there are no discussions with the state PKR so far because a decision has already been made (at the central level),” he told reporters after a ceremony declaring the names of Penang PAS candidates at the PAS office in Pongsu Seribu, here last night.
PAS had placed it state Youth chief Yusni Md Piah to field the Sungai Acheh state assembly seat which was represented by PKR candidate Azhar Ahamad who lost to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Mahmud Zakaria in the 12th general election. Mohd Salleh announced that PAS will contest in six state assembly seats and two parliamentary seats, with an additional state assembly seat in Sungai Acheh for the 13th general election.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mansor announced that PKR candidate Badrul Hisham Shahrin, popularly known as Cikgu Bard, will be fielding the state assembly seat. Sungai Acheh is one of three state assembly seats in the Nibong parliamentary constituency traditionally considered as PAS’, but had changed hands to PKR in 2008.
Mohd Salleh said he also wondered how Mansor could announce a PKR candidate for the seat while PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim only announced the party’s candidate at the parliamentary level. He also stressed that only PAS would contest for the Sungai Acheh seat and hoped PKR and DAP would lend their support to the PAS candidate.
When asked if the overlap was caused by imbalance within the Pakatan Rakyat in Penang, Mohd Salleh dismissed the matter and said it was normal and not impossible.
“This (overlapping seats) is not impossible. We will wait for nomination day to find out who will contest for the Sungai Acheh seat, but most importantly PAS will definitely contest there on behalf of the opposition,” he said.
BERNAMA
