GEORGE TOWN: It is not just the state DAP being hit by infighting, Perikatan Nasional here has also been rocked by the naming of a candidate.
The PAS grassroots are threatening to boycott the polls after Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau (pic) was named to contest in the Malay-majority Bayan Lepas state seat.
Local PAS leaders said the party had been doing the groundwork there for years and would not accept Lau, whom they claim is a “parachute” candidate.
Lau’s candidacy had been scheduled to be announced with other Perikatan candidates on Wednesday but only 39 of the 40 candidates were named.
Yesterday, there was talk that Lau had been moved to Machang Bubuk, replacing his party comrade Tan Hum Wei, with Penang PAS secretary Iszuree Ibrahim slated for Bayan Lepas.
However, Perikatan secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, in a terse one-liner statement, said the coalition’s presidential council had confirmed Lau as the candidate for the seat.
In Kedah, Umno’s Datuk Muhamad Khizri Abu Kassim has a big task on his hand against caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, a hugely popular politician, in Jeneri.
The 45-year-old businessman, a local boy, likened it as a David versus Goliath battle.
“I’ll be the underdog against the mentri besar and also the election director of PAS,” he said.
Kedah Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, a former mentri besar and minister, will be up against incumbent Mohd Radzi Md Amin of PAS for the Pedu seat.
In the last state election, Mohd Radzi defeated Umno’s Kama Noriah Ibrahim and PKR’s Hashim Idris by a 670-vote majority.
Mahdzir is seen as Barisan Nasional mentri besar candidate should the unity pact win the state.Besides Jeneri and Pedu, Umno will contest in 13 other state seats under the unity government coalition.
Although Kedah is under PAS rule, Universiti Utara Malaysia political analyst Prof Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said the unity pact had an advantage with almost all the seats seeing straight fights.
“With only two big coalitions facing each other, the dynamics have changed.
“Both Pakatan and Barisan have their strengths and now they have joined forces in both urban and rural seats.
“They are getting stronger,” he said.
