PR candidate for Labuan known on Friday

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LABUAN: Labuan PKR chief Simsudin Hj Sidek yesterday disclosed that the prevailing confusion as to whether PKR or PAS would represent Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for the Labuan seat in the 13th general election would be sorted out this Friday.

He said PR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would make the announcement on that day on the candidacy of Pakatan Rakyat in Sabah, including the Labuan parliamentary seat.

Several supporters of Pakatan Rakyat here appeared confused as both PKR and PAS had claimed to represent Pakatan Rakyat for the only parliamentary seat on this island.

PKR Labuan had announced that their candidate would be corporate figure Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin, while Labuan PAS had also revealed their candidate, Hadnan Hj Mohamad, who is the Labuan PAS information chief.

PAS, represented by Matusin Abdul Rahman, had lost three consecutive elections to Umno of Barisan Nasional and in the 2008 election, the seat was won by Datuk Yussof Mahal with a majority of 8,457 votes.

“He (Anwar) would make the announcement this Friday at Sabah Hotel, Sandakan at 1.30pm,” Simsudin said.

He said further that he believed with their strong machinery and preparation they were ever ready to face the election and would give an equally good fight to the BN candidate.

“I believe our candidate is suitably qualified and the people here should be proud that a local such as him (Ibrahim) is willing to offer himself to stand under the PKR ticket against the BN.

“He (Ibrahim) is a high-profile individual and he is suitably qualified to hold the position of a federal minister should he win in the election.

“There is no one from this island who have held the post of a federal minister before. So, there is no reason why a local from Labuan could not become the minister if he makes the cut in this election,” he said.

Ibrahim is on record as having led several big corporate companies, including government linked companies (GLC) like Malaysia Mining Corporation (MMC) Berhad, Suria Capital Holdings Berhad and Sapura Kencana Petroleum Sdn Bhd. He is a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.

Meanwhile, Simsudin said even though PKR and PAS have a minor issue about the candidacy here, they shared the same goal to defeat the Barisan Nasional in Labuan.

“The supporters of Barisan Nasional are playing on the issue to garner more votes from the people here,” he said.