GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan’s election machinery is sufficient for its candidates’ campaign in Penang, says its deputy president Oh Tong Keong.
“We can manage the campaigning, but if PAS lends support, that would be good. If they are willing to help us, good.
“We definitely welcome PAS but we do have the support of our party members to go down to the ground with us,” he said here yesterday.
Oh, who is contesting the Pantai Jerejak state seat, said the Penang Gerakan machinery consists of locals and party members.
The Gerakan deputy president was responding to PAS’ claims that a lack of resources is the reason why the party has not been able to assist Gerakan president Dominic Lau in his campaigning.
Lau, who is vying for the Bayan Lepas state seat, has been spotted on his campaign trails without any assistance from PAS.
State PAS commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff said the party was not boycotting Lau’s election campaign in any way.
“It is because of the lack of resources. Right now, every candidate has to have their own machinery.
“Lau has to bring his own people as well. We do not have enough (members to help campaign).
“In fact, our election machinery in certain areas needed help as well,” he was reported as saying.
It was earlier reported that the PAS grassroots threatened to boycott the polls after Lau was picked to contest in the Malay-majority Bayan Lepas seat.
Local PAS leaders said the party had been doing the groundwork there for years and would not accept Lau, whom they claimed was a “parachute” candidate.
On Aug 1, Lau was not welcomed at a PAS ceramah in Sungai Dua, Penang.
At one point, he was told by Penang PAS secretary Iszuree Ibrahim to “go away”.
PAS has since apologised for the incident.
Iszuree was earlier expected to be fielded for the Bayan Lepas state seat.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said as the leader of a Perikatan component party and candidate in the state election, Lau should be accorded adequate respect.
Takiyuddin apologised to Lau on behalf of the party leadership and urged party members to accept Lau’s candidacy for Bayan Lepas.
Lau is contesting under the Perikatan ticket against incumbent Bayan Lepas assemblyman Azrul Mahathir Aziz from Pakatan Harapan.
Azrul won the seat with 12,504 votes, while Umno’s Rusli Hashim had 7,259 votes and PAS’ Zarina Shinta Madar had 2,497 votes in GE14.
