NIBONG TEBAL, June 10 — The Unity Government’s Sungai Bakap by-election candidate will be announced Wednesday.
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said the candidate’s name would be presented at the Unity Government Leadership Consultative Council Meeting tomorrow.
“The list of candidates has been submitted to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the election department. The candidate has been screened by the Penang Leadership Council.
“We will present the candidate according to the process at the Unity Government Leadership Consultative Council Meeting tomorrow. That is the process that even though it is PKR contesting, our allies will approve it,” he told reporters after launching the bloc’s machinery for the by-election here last night.
Rafizi, who is also PKR election director, said it will not be an easy contest for the Pakatan Harapan (Harapan)-Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, but there is a chance to reclaim the seat lost to Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the last state election.
“We accept the fact that we enter this by-election as underdogs, but we are confident of reclaiming the Sungai Bakap seat that was briefly lent to PN,” he said.
He reminded the Harapan machinery that the Sungai Bakap campaign should be different, with speeches addressing the plight of Palestinians.
The Economy Minister asked the machinery to campaign with dignity and appropriately respond to all accusations and slander thrown by the opposition.
Also present at the event were Penang Harapan chairman Chow Kon Yeow, Penang PKR Leadership Council deputy chairman Datuk Mohamad Abdul Hamid, Penang Umno Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, and Nibong Tebal MP Fadhlina Sidek.
July 6 is polling day for the Sungai Bakap by-election, with nomination on June 22 and early voting on July 2.
The by-election was called after the death of incumbent Nor Zamri Latiff on May 24 due to stomach inflammation.
In the last state election, Nor Zamri, who was PAS Nibong Tebal president, defeated Harapan’s Nurhidayah Che Ros with a 1,563-vote majority.
— Bernama
