PKR, DAP in seat tussle

(NST) – ALOR STAR: Seat allocation negotiations involving parties ruling Kedah appear to have stalled after DAP, now with a solitary state seat, demanded to contest two parliamentary and six state seats.

State DAP chief Lee Guan Aik said he had referred the matter to party headquarters last month.

The party, which contested two state seats in the 2008 general election, had asked to contest the Padang Serai and Alor Star parliamentary seats.

Additionally, DAP wanted to retain its Kota Darulaman state seat, held by Lee, and also wished to contest in Bakar Bata, Lunas, Gurun, Bakar Arang and Derga, all of which would require Parti Keadilan Rakyat to make concessions.

Lee told the New Straits Times that the party hoped to have a bigger role in the Pas-led state government if the loose grouping retained the state government in the next general election.

Kedah PKR chief Datuk Wan Salleh Wan Isa could not be reached for comment.

Lee won the Kota Darulaman seat with 5,145 votes in a straight fight with MCA’s Datuk Chong Itt Chew. However, DAP lost the Derga seat in a three-cornered fight with Gerakan and PKR.

State Gerakan chief Dr Cheah Soon Hai retained the seat for Barisan Nasional, obtaining 6,516 votes.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak sought to downplay the impasse when quizzed by reporters here yesterday.

“Pas has no problems in terms of seat allocation as we have decided where to contest. All is well except for one or two seats, which are still being discussed between PKR and DAP.

“This is not a big issue. The allocation of seats will be based on the wishes of the voters in the constituencies.” Pas has 16 seats in the 36-seat state assembly while PKR has three seats after two of its assemblymen — Tan Wei Shu (Bakar Arang) and Mohd Radzi Salleh (Lunas) — quit the party to become independents.