KUALA LUMPUR, APRIL 16- Perkasa vice-president Zulkifli Noordin has been named as Barisan Nasional’s direct candidate for the Shah Alam parliament seat.
The ex-PKR man, who in the 2008 polls clinched the Kulim Bandar Baharu parliament seat, will be taking on PAS strongman and incumbent Khalid Samad.
Zulkifli’s candidacy comes hot in the heels of a video which went viral on YouTube, which depicted him belittling Hindu deities.
Observers expressed disappointment over the latest development, stating that including Zulkifli in the BN line-up runs foul of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia campaign.
Shah Alam, with its Malay/Muslim majority voters, was also the site of the infamous severed cow head protest against the relocation of a Hindu temple.
‘Umno lacks viable candidates’
Meanwhile, Khalid said Zulkifli’s candidacy is proof that Umno and BN have no viable candidates.
He added that Umno’s decision is also reflective of its wrong perception with regard to the people of Shah Alam.
“Umno should have found a candidate who is attuned and have similar wavelength with the local Malays and non-Malays,” he said.
Khalid added that Zulkifli’s decision to move from Kulim Bandar Baharu to Shah Alam also shows that he has no confidence in retaining the seat.
“He would have been a giant killer if he defeated PKR secretary general Saifuddun Nasution Ismail [who will be contesting in Kulim Bandar Baharu]. He moved because he cannot spin a tale there. The people there know him. Here he can make a tale,” he said.
Khalid also cautioned the non-Malay voters in Shah Alam to stay calm during the campaign period.
“They [Zulkifli and Perkasa] will try to break the flow of the election process. Please keep calm and don’t react,” he added.
In a related development, PKR communication director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Zulkifi is welcomed to contest in any constituency.
“But as far as we are concerned, the people of Shah Alam value Khalid Samad, so a character like Zulkifli will have no chance at [winning] the seat.
“For Zulkifli, this is the time for him to be in the news. But the people want a serious candidate to serve the rakyat, and Khalid Samad has proven to be such a person,” he told a press conference here.
Penang DAP Youth wing also hit out at BN and the coalition’s chairman Najib for disrespecting the feelings of the Indian community by picking Zulkifli as a candidate.
The movement’s assistant secretary Satees Muniandy said Zulkifli was an extremist whose candidacy as a BN man should be rejected.
“I am also wondering what will MIC and other Indian-based parties in BN do over this. Will they campaign for Zulkifli in Shah Alam?” he asked.
Perkasa to campaign
Perkasa secretary general Syed Hassan Syed Ali confirmed that the movement would campaign for Zulkifli.
He however was not perturbed by the fact that Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali was not named as BN’s candidate.
“We are not fighting for positions in BN. We are a neutral organisation. And we definitely want Zulkifli and Ibrahim to represent our interest in Parliament,” he added.
