KUALA LIPIS, Jan 9 — Even as the Barisan Nasional is scheduled to name its candidate for the Cameron Highlands parliamentary by-election in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, the guessing game goes on as to who the coalition will field.
There is talk that Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who is discharging the duties of the president, may go for the seat because he has no constituency now considering that his election for the Rantau state seat in Negri Sembilan has been annulled and his appeal is pending in the Seremban High Court.
There is even talk that the BN may field an Orang Asli in an effort to draw the votes from the Orang Asli and Malays as they comprise over 50 per cent of the 32,048 voters in the constituency.
Pahang BN chairman Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail declined to comment, only saying that the candidate will be liked by all.
“We will select a winnable candidate. The candidate will be one who can get close to the people and meet their needs. Let’s wait,” he said.
A news portal had reported that BN, through Umno, was expected to spring a surprise and field a local from the Orang Asli community.
The nomination for the by-election is on January 12 and polling on January 26.
The seat fell vacant after the Election Court annulled the election of Datuk C. Sivarraajh of the MIC in the 14th general election last May, saying there had been vote-buying during the election campaign. — Bernama
