PUTRAJAYA: Barisan Nasional (BN) is in the midst of gathering feedback from voters on the need to contest the Kajang state constituency by-election, and is seeking the best candidate.
Umno Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said the local BN party machinery had started soliciting the views of the public on the matter, a day after Lee Chin Cheh resigned as Kajang state assemblyman early this week.
He said it was imperative the public understood the by-election was a deliberate act, merely to overcome internal problems within the PKR, and the people of Kajang were dragged into the fray by PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said this was not the first time that Anwar had done so, as previously, his wife had ‘purposely resigned’ as member of parliament for Permatang Pauh to pave the way for him.
“This is an intentional by-election, bringing difficulties to the local populace. It is an affront to democracy. It can be forgiven if committed once, but now it is repeated.
“We leave it to the leadership to decide whether to contest or otherwise. Whatever the decision, we shoulder it together, and prepare earlier.
“This is why, we must start work early,” he said, during a visit to Kampung Sungai Kantan here yesterday.
On Tuesday, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had announced that Anwar, who is also opposition leader, would contest in the Kajang state seat, following Lee’s resignation.
This led to specuations that Anwar will replace Khalid as menteri besar.
The 2013 General Election saw Lee winning with a 6,824 majority in a six-cornered fight involving MCA from BN, Berjasa and three independents.
Ahmad Mazlan, who is also deputy finance minister, said views at the grassroots level would be passed on to the BN leadership and the decision would be announced at the BN Supreme Council meeting soon.
To a question, he expressed optimism there was solid support for BN from voters in Kajang, seeing that as Permatang Pauh state assemblyman, it would be near-impossible for Anwar to simultaneously serve the people of Kajang. — Bernama