Pas shocked with PKR's Sg Acheh candidacy

Penang Pas Youth chief Mohd Yusni Mat Piah said he was shocked when State Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leader Datuk Mansor Othman announced that a PKR candidate will stand in the Sg Acheh state seat when it had been agreed the seat will go to Pas.

Mohd Yusni whose candidacy for the seat was announced by Penang Pas leader Datuk Mohd Salleh Man on Wednesday said he did not understand why PKR resorted to such decision.

He said: “I don’t know why the announcement was made when we have already agreed on the seat distribution.”

“Besides, the seat was originally Pas' and we gave it to PKR in the last election to help garner support for Nibong Tebal (parliamentary seat),” the 39-year-old Pas man said.

“I have thought that Chegu Bard (Badrul Hisham Shaharin) will be fielded as a candidate in Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat. I didn’t see this coming because he and I are working closely together here.”

Mohd Yusni also said if the issue is not resolved immediately, it may affect the people’s support for Mansor, who is Pakatan’s candidate for Nibong Tebal.

It was reported that Mansor had issued a press statement via text message that PKR’s Chegu Bard will be contesting in the seat for the upcoming polls.

Bernama reported Salleh as saying that Mansor’s statement is regarded as defying the decision by Pakatan Rakyat central leadership earlier this week.

Salleh said: “Pas’ decision that we will contest in Sg Acheh was final and there are no discussions with the state PKR so far because the decision has been made (at central level).”

In 2008 Barisan Nasional’s candidate Datuk Mahmud Zakaria won the Sg Acheh seat against PKR’s Azhar Ahamad with a majority of 250 votes.

Meanwhile Chegu Bard in a statement said he would follow any decisions by Pakatan leadership on the issue and that he is willing to be a normal member to ensure the coalition’s victory and to avoid three-cornered fights in the polls.

PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution reportedly said that the seat squabble in Sg Acheh should be resolved before election’s nomination day on April 20.

PKR news organ Keadilan Daily reported Saifuddin as saying that according to rule of negotiation, any party which have lost in small margin should be given the priority to contest.

He also said that the party did not request for seats which had lost in a small margin from its coalition partners, Pas and DAP.