CALON-CALONNYA ADALAH.....

Friday, January 21, 2011 Malacca PKR touts Shamsul Iskandar for Merlimau Shamsul hails from Jasin, near to the Merlimau constituency. file pic KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 The Malacca PKR wants to offer party youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin to contest the Merlimau by-election although Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is likely to allow PAS to fight for the state seat.The seat fell vacant after two-time assemblyman Datuk Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hassan died last night from heart complications. The Malaysian Insider understands that the Malacca PR state leadership will meet early next week to decide whether PAS or PKR will field a candidate for the Merlimau state seat. Some of them (PKR state leaders) have suggested my name, as it is also my area... but we will decide first with the central leadership on which party will contest, said Shamsul who hails from nearbly Jasin. In terms of parliamentary votes, back in 2008, PKR obtained more votes than PAS... that is also why we are pushing for this, he told The Malaysian Insider. Shamsul, who is also Malacca PKR chief, said the state leadership will decide on its candidate this Sunday before sending its list of proposed candidates to the partys supreme council on Monday. One of the main points why we are doing this is because although PAS contested in 2008, PKR had contested in 2004, said Shamsul. PR state opposition leader Goh Leong San said, however, that PAS would be given priority to contest for Merlimau. The state Pakatan leadership will probably meet over the weekend or after that, not today, as we want to wait for the nomination day in Tenang to be over. We will meet one or two days after that. Pakatan has a common understanding over the seat, [where the] Malay population is more than 60 per cent...we respect PAS for the work that they have done in the area, let PAS make a decision on the candidate, he told The Malaysian Insider. Goh, who is Kesidang state as! semblyma n, said that PR would likely focus on state over national issues for the by-election, claiming that constituents identified more with local issues. Wastage of mega projects by the state government, the flood problem which has caused losses... it is a small state, most people will understand state-based issues, added the DAP leader. He also said that PR will hold a dinner function tomorrow night in Pekan Merlimau, which will be attended by DAP deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw and Selangor Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim. PAS central committee member Mohamad Sabu (Mat Sabu) is also expected to attend. The Merlimau state seat consists of 64.7 percent Malays, of the 10,500 voters, while 21 percent are Chinese and 14 percent Indians. With Mohamad Hidhirs death, the Election Commission (EC) must call for a by-election within the next 60 days. Mohamad Hidhir won the Merlimau state seat twice, beating PAS candidate Jasme Tompang with a majority of 2,154 votes in Election 2008.. In 2004, Mohamad Hidhir won the seat with a majority of 5,087 votes. - Malaysian Insider