Azmin: Sarawak PKR to decide election candidates
(MMO) – Sarawak PKR will make the final decision on which of the party’s candidates will contest the May 7 state elections, party deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said today.
“Certainly, they should be given the opportunity to make the final decision on the name list of candidates because they know best about Sarawak and they have been here for the last many years,” he told reporters here on arrival from Kuala Lumpur this morning.
However, Azmin said state leaders will first brief him and party president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail before they finalise the name list.
“I think they should be given the opportunities to advise the party leaders on the seat allocations before making the final decision,” he added.
He said the state leaders have been working very hard to develop the party for the last 15 years, not only in urban but also in rural areas.
Sarawak PKR is wrangling with the state DAP in at least five seats in the elections.
Sarawak DAP announced yesterday that it would contest in 30 seats while Sarawak PKR has yet to make an announcement on which seats it would contest. The latter is eyeing 40 seats, mostly in Dayak-majority areas.
Azmin also said today he had to wait for about 15 minutes at the Kuching International Airport’s immigration counter before he was allowed to enter Sarawak.
“Yes, they (immigration officers) double-checked with the higher authority before they allowed me to go through,” he said, speculating that the officers could have asked the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Office for clearance.
He said the state government should not stop opposition leaders from entering Sarawak for legitimate political purposes.
“If Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem feels that he can win easily in the next state elections, he should allow all opposition leaders to come in,” Azmin said.
Selangor legislative assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh was the latest opposition lawmaker to be denied entry into Sarawak when she arrived at the Sibu airport this morning.
