Sunday, April 21, 2013

Trouble brewing? PKR-PAS clash in seven seats

PKR and PAS are facing off in one parliamentary seat in Sabah and six state seats in Penang, Selangor, Johor and Terengganu.
The two opposition parties will vie for the Labuan parliamentary seat, the Sungai Acheh state assembly seat in Penang, Kota Damansara state seat in Selangor, Panti in Johor and Kota Putera, Bukit Besi and Seberang Takir state seats in Terengganu.In Labuan, PKR is fielding Ibrahim Menudin, while PAS' candidate is Hadnan Mohamad.

They are contending with newcomer Rosman Isli from Umno. In 2008, Umno's Yusof Mahal took the seat by a huge majority.

"There is no compromise, we are fighting each other. We cannot withdraw since we've already filed our nomination papers, and if we withdraw, we will lose our deposit," said Ibrahim, according to The Star Online.

Ibrahim, one of PKR's new recruits with a corporate background, is also going for the Bongawan state seat under the Kimanis parliamentary constituency.

Over in Penang, it is noted that PKR and PAS are clashing in Sungai Acheh.

PKR has fielded Badrul Hisham Shaharin - or better known as Chegubard - whereas PAS' candidate is Mohd Yusni Mat Piah.

The incumbent for the seat is Umno's Mahmud Zakaria. He had previously won the seat by a razor-thin majority of 250 votes in 2008.
'Misunderstanding in Panti'
Meanwhile in Kota Damansara, located within the Subang parliamentary constituency, PAS' Ridzuan Ismail is taking on incumbent, PSM's Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim, who is contesting under the PKR banner, as he did in 2008.

Mohd Nasir won the assembly seat in 2008 against a BN candidate with a 1,075-vote majority.

The duo are also be contesting against Halimaton Saadiah Bohan of BN and three Independants.

In the Panti state constituency in Johor, BN's Baderi Dasuki is defending the seat he won with a massive 7,503 votes against Azlisham Azahar (PAS) and Mohd Annuar Mohd Salleh (PKR).

Johor PAS deputy commissioner Mazlan Aliman has refused to comment on the matter when contacted by Malaysiakini on the three-cornered fight.

"I don't dare to comment now because I need to understand the situation first," he said.
Meanwhile, Johor PKR chief Chua Jui Meng, when met in Segamat, described the PAS-PKR clash in Panti as a misunderstanding.

"I don't know how this could happen - that both parties received the appointment letter - when it was decided at the federal level by our party presidents that the seat would go to PKR.

"Perhaps it was communicated late to PAS in Panti," Chua told journalists during a pasar malam walkabout as he campaigned as Segamat parliamentary candidate.
Leadership to decide
Chua said the federal leadership will meet to resolve the matter soon.

"It is too late for either side to withdraw now but our leadership will instruct - if it is decided the seat belong to PKR - then PAS must support and if it is decided it belongs to PAS, then PKR must support them," he said.

Panti was not in the candidacy list of PAS when it was announced early this week, instead it was in PKR's list.

So far, Terengganu is seeing the most number of PKR-PAS clashes in three state seats.

Roslan Ismail of PAS is embroiled in a three-cornered fight for the Bukit Besi state seat with fellow Pakatan Rakyat candidate Mohd Shamsul Mat Amin of PKR, and BN's Roslee Daud.

Umno's Din Adam defeated PAS there by a 2,492 votes majority in the previous general election.

In Kota Putera, Adam Mat Said of PAS and Mohamed Abdul Ghani Ibrahim of PKR faces BN's Mohd Mahdi Musa.

Meanwhile, Seberang Takir sees a battle among Zakaria Dagang (PAS), Ahmad Nazri Mohd Yusoh (PKR) and incumbent Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman (BN).

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