P. Pauh by-election: Don’t be too confident, Guan Eng tells PKR

(Bernama) – The upcoming Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat by-election would be a stiff fight between Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and Barisan Nasional (BN), DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said.

Lim, who is also Penang Chief Minister, saw the contesting sides as having a 50:50 chance this time, hence he will be advising Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) not to be too confident of winning in the by-election.

Speaking to reporters here today, Lim also said PR would be launching its Permatang Pauh by-election machinery tomorrow night.

“We see that BN has started early…we see it as a challenge and we (DAP) will give our support (to PKR) in facing that challenge from BN,” he said.

The Permatang Pauh by-election has been called after the seat was declared vacant when its incumbent MP Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was disqualified from holding the post following the Pardons Board’s rejection of his family’s petition for a royal pardon for his sodomy conviction.

Anwar is now serving a five-year jail sentence at the Sungai Buloh Prison, Selangor.

The Election Commission has fixed April 25 for nomination of candidates for the Permatang Pauh by-election, May 3 for early voting and May 7 for polling.