PORT MORESBY, Nov 18 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the PH presidential council would decide on the candidate in the by-election for the Rantau state seat in Negri Sembilan.
He said the issue of which party was going to put up the candidate did not arise as more importantly the candidate was going to represent the four component parties of PH.
“The person contesting is a candidate of Pakatan Harapan not a candidate of Pribumi (Bersatu), Keadilan (PKR). So we will determine who will be the candidate,” the Prime Minister told Malaysian media after the conclusion of the 26th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting here today.
He was commenting on several names from among PH coalition parties being tossed about for the coming by-election.
On Friday, the Special Election Court in Seremban declared Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan’s victory in the Rantau state seat during the 14th general election (GE14) was null and void and a by-election for the seat should be held soon.
Mohamad won the seat unopposed after PKR candidate Dr S. Streram was not allowed in the nomination centre because he did not have a pass issued by the Election Commission (EC).
Commenting on the by-election, Dr Mahathir said: “From the start, we knew it was not right. Rules on people coming late, not wearing pass, these are all of the old government. The previous government was looking for ways to deceive. Now we see they are the one.”
On a possible Cabinet reshuffle, Dr Mahathir reiterated that it was not necessary as the Cabinet was still new unless there was an insistence to do so.
“(Reshuffle) if there is a call. But for me there is no need to reshuffle as the cabinet is new and we have not tested their capabilities,” he said. — Bernama
