PKR confident of bigger win
By Athi Shankar, Free Malaysia Today
GEORGE TOWN: The rapid growth of Pakatan Rakyat’s political support base in Penang will help PKR to add more seats to its current stable of nine state and two parliamentary seats in the next general election.
PKR’s Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff is confident that Pakatan’s grassroots political set-up will boost PKR’s chances in the seats won by Umno with narrow margins in the 2008 general election.
Unlike before, he said, Pakatan currently has representatives in village development and safety committees (JKKK), municipal councils, statutory bodies and at the state government level.
He said the grassroots leaders are the first line of Pakatan leaders to reach out to the people and their grassroots political influence will be decisive.
“Their performance in providing effective community service has been top marks, and this will help PKR to win more seats,” he told FMT.
With the correct strategies, right candidates and hard work, Yusmadi is confident that PKR can wrest several Umno seats.
He also believes that PKR will reclaim the parliamentary seats of Bayan Baru and Nibong Tebal, whose incumbents quit the party to become Barisan Nasional-friendly independents.
Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Hashim, the former PKR state chief, and Nibong Tebal’s Tan Tee Beng left the party last year.
In the last general election, PKR lost marginally to BN candidates from Umno in five state seats.On the island, PKR narrowly lost in Pulau Betong by 294 votes and Teluk Bahang by 465 votes.
