Squabbles in PR camp over seat allocation
These squabbles are not surprising, said political analyst Khoo Kay Peng, who runs his own consultancy. Since 2008, when PR did spectacularly well in the polls, its membership has grown exponentially, and it now has a slate of better-qualified people.
Carolyn Hong & Yong Yen Nie, Straits Times
THE pressure is on the parties to finalise their candidates as nomination day may be just days away.
The lobbying for seats has been intense, with open squabbles already marring the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) camp, while the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) holds its cards tightly.
PR said it hopes to finish the seat negotiations by today, while BN is expected to begin announcing some names from next week.
PR has trickled out the names of some candidates over the last few weeks. But even the cautious rate of announcements has not managed to quell the squabbles.
There were protests from the ground after the Democratic Action Party (DAP) announced its candidate – former Umno assemblyman Mohd Ariff Sabri – for the Raub seat in Pahang. He is a relatively new recruit.
The Kedah DAP also complained publicly after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim picked Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidates for the Alor Star and Padang Serai seats, which the DAP had wanted.
The worst squabble was in Johor, where PKR chief Chua Jui Meng went incommunicado after DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang was announced as the candidate for the Gelang Patah seat, which Mr Chua was eyeing.
Mr Anwar’s announcement of former army chief Hashim Hussein for the Johor Baru seat also reportedly caused ripples, as he was new to the party.
These squabbles are not surprising, said political analyst Khoo Kay Peng, who runs his own consultancy. Since 2008, when PR did spectacularly well in the polls, its membership has grown exponentially, and it now has a slate of better-qualified people.
“Things have become much more competitive now. Public office always holds a great lure for people as it comes with influence and the network,” he said.
He noted that PKR – the youngest party – seems to have the most problems. Its partners, the DAP and Parti Islam SeMalaysia, have a lot more experience dealing with this. The coalition, he said, will have to resolve its differences quickly, or look fractious.
Umno MP in Johor Nur Jazlan Mohamed said it appeared that PR is not immune to the BN disease of fighting for seats, as its members grow to believe there is a chance for the opposition coalition to win power.
On the other hand, BN has kept quiet. It is understood that Prime Minister Najib Razak has told his party leaders to give him a free hand to decide on the candidate list. He has met BN leaders over the last few days to finalise it.
Sources say some states may see changes, including Johor, where the current Menteri Besar Ghani Othman has already served four terms. Mr Ghani has been speculated to be moving to a parliamentary seat, with several names tipped to replace him.
Kedah is another state where there is intense lobbying for the Menteri Besar-designate post. Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Mukhriz Mahathir is said to be a front runner.
The PM yesterday urged his party leaders at a closed-door meeting to avoid the infighting that had hurt the party in 2008.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said it had completed vetting all candidates.
