Sanusi prefers Malay candidate for Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election

Perikatan Nasional election director Sanusi Nor said he is confident no PN component party will sit out the polls if they do not get to contest it.

PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional election director Sanusi Nor wants a Malay candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election, no matter which component party he or she may come from.

“I will be present at the PN Supreme Council meeting.

“I will suggest that a Malay candidate represent PN, no matter which party he or she may come from,” Sinar Harian quoted him as saying in Alor Setar in response to Gerakan’s interest in running for the Selangor state seat.

The constituency has a mixed voter base, with more than 40,000 Malay voters forming the majority at 46%, followed by Chinese voters (30%), Indians (18%) and Orang Asli and others (5%).

Nomination day is April 27 while early voting will be held on May 7 and voting on May 11.

Gerakan president Dominic Lau said yesterday his party wants to contest the by-election.

Sanusi, who is also the Kedah menteri besar, said he was confident no PN component party would sit out the polls if they do not get to contest it.

“I am not worried that a protest may happen (if Gerakan is not chosen to contest),” he said.

On April 19, MCA said it will sit out the  polls if the unity government’s candidate does not come from Barisan Nasional.

MIC president SA Vigneswaran was previously reported as saying his party will similarly stay on the sidelines.

However, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today at PKR’s 25th anniversary special convention that MIC will campaign for the unity government’s candidate in the by-election.

He said Vigneswaran had told him his party would help, and dismissed reports saying otherwise as being inaccurate.