‘No means no,’ Dr Boo tells Liew

Incumbent Skudai assemblyman Dr Boo Cheng Hau said the leadership should respect the grassroots’ wishes for him to remain in Skudai.

(FMT) – Incumbent Skudai assemblyman Dr Boo Cheng Hau has reiterated that he will not contest the Labis parliamentary seat in the coming general election (GE14).

This came after Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong urged Boo to reconsider his refusal to contest the Labis seat.

“No means no,” Boo told FMT, “Liew has to respect the grassroots’ wishes for me to remain in Skudai.”

Boo said the Gelang Patah parliamentary liaison committee passed two resolutions to retain him and Lim Kit Siang for the Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency.

“If the leadership disagrees with their resolutions, then they should meet them.” 

Boo said branches are allowed to nominate candidates for the election before the party’s leadership decides but, this time, this convention was bypassed.

“I’m not going to Labis because I’ve never served the constituency. Plus, we need senior leaders in the state assembly.

“Labis is a difficult seat to win. It’s a seat where you would’ve had to work hard to stand a chance. Nothing comes easy.”

He said he believed there were “ulterior motives” to send him to Labis but declined to elaborate.

Earlier, Malaysiakini reported that Liew had asked Boo to reconsider his refusal to stand in Labis after Boo complained that it was a “fatal mistake” to move him from Skudai.

Liew said that the decision to move Boo “had to be made” and that the offer to stand in Labis was still open to him.

Previously, Liew announced that Mengkibol assemblyman Tan Hong Pin would stand in Skudai.

Boo first won the Skudai seat in 2008 with a 12,854-vote majority and defended it in 2013 with an 18,050-vote majority.