KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — The Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-elections could result in three-way fight with Barisan Nasional (BN) and a fractured opposition front.
A PKR leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a three-cornered fight involving PKR, BN and PAS may take place in Sungai Besar, Selangor, while another similar three-way battle could occur in Kuala Kangsar, Perak with Amanah, BN and PAS all throwing their hats in the ring.
Malay Mail Online understands that PKR officials met with PAS leaders recently as part of informal negotiations to ensure straight fights between BN and the opposition for both federal seats that were won by Umno, who had contested against PAS in the 13th general election.
However, negotiations appeared to have failed.
“The meeting between PKR and PAS has happened. If we want to show that we have learned from the Sarawak experience, we must avoid a three-cornered fight,” a PKR leader told Malay Mail Online on condition of anonymity.
The leader said during the meeting, several options were presented to PAS, including one where PKR is given the opportunity to square off against BN in a straight fight for Sungai Besar.
As a reward to PAS, PKR would then assist and persuade Amanah to stay out of the Kuala Kangsar by-election.
“In the meeting, PAS said that they are open to ideas and will get back to us…but from Tuan Ibrahim’s remarks, it is clear that the negotiations during the meeting was in vain,” the PKR leader explained.
The leader was referring to PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who stated recently that the Islamist opposition party would contest both by-elections.
The PKR source noted that Amanah has also expressed interest in contesting the Kuala Kangsar seat. Amanah Perak chairman Asmuni Awi said this week that his party already had a pool of suitable candidates in mind for the seat.
When contacted, PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang said the party has yet to make a final decision on whether it would contest the Sungai Besar seat, but said it wanted to avoid a clash with PAS if possible.
“Whatever it may be, traditionally those are PAS seats. That is for sure. The issue is we want to make sure that [the] opposition bloc does not want to create a situation where there are three-cornered fights,” he told Malay Mail Online.
“In presenting some form of unity, there is the option of letting PAS go ahead and contest these two seats,” the Batu MP added.
Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub said that PAS’s decision to contest the two seats should not affect the stance of Pakatan Harapan — comprising PKR, DAP and Amanah — as the Islamist party was not part of the opposition bloc.
“Because PAS is not part of Pakatan Harapan, PAS can say whatever they want. It’s their right.
“But come this Sunday, the Amanah national council with have a meeting and will for sure discuss the party’s stand on whether we will contest the by-elections,” he told Malay Mail Online.
DAP election strategist Ong Kian Ming said that the onus was on PKR to handle the negotiations among the opposition parties if it wanted to see a straight fight against BN in both by-elections.
“I think if PKR wants to contest in Sungai Besar, they will have to negotiate with all relevant parties to avoid a three-cornered fight.
“That is a process PKR needs to undertake...basically negotiate with everyone else except for DAP,” Ong said, adding that DAP did not have stake in the matter as it will not be contesting either by-election.
The Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar seats fell vacant after the deaths of their respective MPs, Datuk Wan Muhammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad and Datuk Noriah Kasnon, who were among six people killed in a helicopter crash in Sarawak last week.
The Election Commission announced yesterday that both the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections will take place on June 18.
In Election 2013, Wan Muhammad Khairil won Kuala Kangsar with a majority of 1,082 votes, while Noriah retained Sungai Besar with a slim 399-vote majority.
