After row over candidacy, Gerakan president says no decision on Perikatan’s Penang CM pick
GEORGE TOWN, July 30 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) has not decided on the candidates to be chief minister or menteri besar ahead of the six state elections next month, said Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai.
He said there have not been any talks within the coalition on who should lead the states even in the event that they win the state elections on August 12.
“Of course, in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, the incumbent menteri besar will be given priority, but the three other states, there were no discussions about it,” he said in a brief press conference before a walkabout event in Bayan Lepas here.
The Penang PN chairman also said this meant there was no decision for his Gerakan party to take the chief minister’s post in the event the coalition won the state.
“No, we will announce the chief minister when we win,” he said when asked about the matter.
He said PN’s strategy was different from that of Pakatan Harapan, which he claimed was facing infighting over the CM’s post.
Lau asserted that PH had to announce its choice for the position to quell the conflict about the matter among party members and grassroots supporters.
“In PN, we don’t have this problem, we agreed to get the mandate of the people first,” he said.
Lau then said PN’s priority was to win the state and not who should be the CM.
When asked if Gerakan’s standing would be jeopardised if he, the party president, could not win the Bayan Lepas state seat, Lau sidestepped this by saying all candidates must accept the possibility of defeat regardless of their position.
He added that it was the responsibility of all candidates to secure the people’s mandate to govern, even if they are the heads of political parties.
“There is no such thing that it is a sure-win for a party president in all elections,” he said.
Following from PAS over Lau’s candidacy for the Malay-majority Bayan Lepas seat, the absence of the Islamist party’s support at his events has been obvious.
When asked about this, he insisted there was a PAS presence during his nomination yesterday.
“Not all component parties are involved in each other’s campaigns,” he said.
Perikatan National Bayan Lepas candidate Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai speaks to a resident during his walkabout in Bayan Lepas July 30, 2023. — Picture by KE Ooi
He said some of the components support their partners in other ways, such as helping with the election machinery and putting up campaign flags, banners and posters.
“I see a lot of flags, billboards and poster have been put up, these are work by the PN component parties,” he said.
He said they do not necessarily need to follow him in his campaign activities, adding that PAS Bayan Lepas leaders have also met with his people.
“They had discussions on putting up the flags and other campaign activities, the candidate can’t do everything, we need support from our team on this,” he said.
Lau’s candidacy for the Bayan Lepas seat under PN was embroiled in controversy over the last few days, with the PAS Bayan Lepas members protesting against him.
The Islamist party’s members had expected Penang PAS secretary Iszuree Ibrahim to be nominated for the seat to go against PH’s incumbent Azrul Mahathir Aziz.
Lau said he had communicated with Iszuree on WhatsApp over the issue before nomination day, adding that it was only a misunderstanding and miscommunication that should be resolved internally.
PN is contesting in all 40 seats in Penang, with Gerakan running in 19, Bersatu in 11 and PAS in 10.
