A six-cornered fight appears likely
Datuk Mustafa Ali says Pas should respect the seat allocation arrangements made last year |
GEORGE TOWN: It could be a crowded contest for the Penanti state seat, even if Barisan Nasional decides to skip the by-election on May 31.
The contest could even become a six-cornered fight if Pas dissidents put up their own candidate and BN gives the nod for Umno to contest.
When contacted yesterday, Akim president Hanafi Mamat confirmed the party would be fielding a candidate.
"We held a meeting recently and decided that we should field our own candidate. We have the support from the ground," he said, adding that the candidate would be a local from Penanti.
Last Tuesday, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced Mansor Othman as his party's choice, adding that he would be named deputy chief minister I if he wins the seat.
Aminah Abdullah, a former state PKR Wanita chief, has also said she would run as an independent.
PRM secretary-general Koh Swe Yong had in a statement last Thursday said the party would be fielding a candidate.
On Tuesday, newly-elected Pas Youth chief Mohd Yusni Mat Piah floated the possibility of fielding an independent candidate despite party spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and elections director Datuk Mustafa Ali having said that Pas would respect the seat allocation arrangements made before the general election last year.
Yusni said the demand from the grassroots for Pas to contest was too strong to be ignored as they were unhappy with the way PKR's Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin resigned to force the by-election.
He said that the "independent" Pas candidate was willing to face expulsion from the party.- New Straits Times, 7/5/2009, A six-cornered fight appears likely
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