Umno-MIC tussle on the cards for Bkt Selambau

Bernama — The choice of Barisan National (BN) candidate for the Bukit Selambau state assembly seat may become a tussle between Umno and MIC as the Merbok Umno division today proposed an Umno candidate to contest the seat.

Merbok Umno division chief Datuk Tajul Urus Md Zain said the Bukit Selambau seat had earlier been represented by Umno before it was given to MIC four terms ago.
 
"After four terms, we have received feedback from grassroots that the MIC does not command enough influence in the area anymore and they want an Umno candidate to contest," he told Bernama here today.
 
Bukit Selambau, a small town that comes under the Merbok parliamentary constituency has 34,977 voters with Malay voters making up 50% at 17,607 while Indians make up 9,688, Chinese (7,386) and others (296).
 
During the March 2008 General Elections, Independent V. Arumugam polled 13,225 votes to beat BN candidate S. Krishnan from MIC, who garnered 10,863 votes.
 
Arumugam who later joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and became an executive councillor, tendered his resignation from both posts on Monday citing threats to his and his family's safety.
 
Tajul said Umno believed it was time the seat was returned to Umno considering the fact that 50% of the voters are Malays.
 
He added that during the division's special meeting last night, it was decided that Umno seek the BN leadership to consider their plight.
 
Meanwhile, Kedah BN chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, who held a meeting with state MIC leaders on Monday, was quoted as saying: "The seat is allocated to MIC, thus we will leave it to the party leaders to decide on the suitable candidate."