Perikatan targeting seats with mixed demographics in Penang
GEORGE TOWN, Nov 3 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) will be targeting seats with mixed demographics in Penang, said state PN chairman Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai.
He said PN’s strength will be in seats where the constituents comprise a mix of races instead of in any ethnic Chinese or Malay majority seat.
"We are targeting to win all seats and we hope voters will give us a chance so I cannot pinpoint a single seat that we may have a chance of winning,” he said after announcing Penang PN’s list of candidates for the 13 parliamentary seats here.
He said PN is confident in leaving an impact in Penang this election.
"We know this state is a Pakatan Harapan stronghold but we must not forget that this state also used to be Gerakan’s stronghold,” he said.
There are three constituencies with a balanced mix of races: Batu Kawan, Nibong Tebal and Bayan Baru.
Lau introduced the 13 PN candidates picked to contest in the 15th general election (GE15) today.
Out of the 13 candidates, five are from Gerakan, five from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and three from PAS.
There are six first-timers among the 13 candidates.
The six first-timers are Oh Teik Choon from Bersatu-Bersekutu, who will contest in Bagan, Muhammad Fawwaz Mat Jan from PAS (Permatang Pauh), Steven Koh Tien Yew from Dewan Himpunan Pendukung PAS (Bukit Mertajam), Wong Chia Zhen from Gerakan (Batu Kawan), P. Thinagaranabhan from Bersatu-Bersekutu (Bukit Gelugor) and Muhammad Harris Idaham Abdul Rashid from Bersatu (Balik Pulau).
Two-term Nibong Tebal MP Datuk Mansor Othman will be defending his seat, but this time under PN.
He had previously held the seat under PKR, in PH.
The 72-year-old said he won the seat with a large margin previously, with more than 15,000 votes.
"Now it will be tougher but I have served the constituency for two terms, so I will leave it to the wisdom of the voters this time,” he said.
He said there will be about 26 per cent of first-time voters in the constituency this time around.
"We hope to be able to reach out to these new voters for their support,” he said.
The other candidates who are familiar faces in Penang are Hng Chee Wey from Gerakan (Bukit Bendera), Oh Tong Keong from Gerakan (Bayan Baru), Datuk Baljit Singh from Gerakan (Jelutong), H'ng Khoon Leng from Gerakan (Tanjong) and Dr Siti Mastura Mohamad from PAS (Kepala Batas).
Datuk Wan Saifulrudin Wan Jan from Bersatu, though a new face in Penang, has previously contested in the Pendang parliamentary seat.
This time, he will be contesting in Tasek Gelugor.
When asked if he will be at a disadvantage as he is considered an outsider in the largely rural and conservative constituency, he said he has been making his rounds in Tasek Gelugor in the past two weeks.
"I admit that there is much to learn about Tasek Gelugor so I’ve been meeting the constituents and I was well received,” he said.
He said Bersatu and PAS' election machineries are working together to reach out to the voters during this campaigning period.
He does not discount the fact voters might not be receptive to a candidate from outside Penang.
"The issue of having a local candidate is important but we must not forget that what is important this time is for the people to elect a clean and stable government,” he said.
He stressed that this GE15 is not about voters electing their respective MPs but it’s for them to elect a government.
"I hope people are aware that they are in fact voting for a government,” he said.
Nomination day is on Saturday while polling day is on November 19.
