Hadi Awang: It’s not easy to win Kerdau seat

(Bernama) – PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has admitted it would not be an easy task for the party to win the Kerdau state by-election.

Nevertheless, he said the party had fielded its best candidate, Hassanuddin Salim, 43, to try and win the hearts of the voters in Kerdau.

“PAS has fielded the most credible candidate, who is not only highly educated, but has also served the community, and has a family in Kerdau.

“These are among the factors that we hope will help us win more votes in the by-election,” he told reporters after the nomination process held at the Tun Razak Hall of Temerloh Municipal Council here today.

He said PAS would not resort to making personal attacks during the campaign period.

The Kerdau state seat fell vacant after incumbent Zaharuddin Abu Kassim, of the Barisan Nasional (BN), died on Feb 12. The polling day for the by-election is March 6.

Meanwhile, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, while acknowledging the opposition would face a very difficult path in Kerdau, said DAP would try its best to help the PAS candidate in the by-election.

“On his chances of winning, I rather not talk about that,” he said.

PKR vice-president Fuziah Salleh, on the other hand, believed Hassanuddin’s experience in contesting in the 2004 and 2008 general elections, would give an advantage to PAS.

“I think we have a good chance. It’s just that we have to double our efforts to win the support of voters in Felda areas,” she said, adding that she also believed the party would be able to win the hearts of the young generation in Kerdau.

Kerdau PAS by-election manager Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the party had a 50-50 chance of winning the by-election.

Hence, he said, they would focus more on Felda settlements, traditional villages and suburb areas in a bid to win more votes.