Voters want a Malay candidate for Kuala Kubu Baharu, says Hulu Selangor Bersatu

Hulu Selangor Bersatu leaders met with the party’s secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin (in white) yesterday to discuss the by-election for the Kuala Kubu Baharu state seat on May 11. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Hulu Selangor Bersatu has claimed that the majority of voters in Kuala Kubu Baharu want Perikatan Nasional (PN) to field a Malay candidate in the upcoming by-election for the state seat.

Hulu Selangor Bersatu’s acting chief Khairul Azhari Saut said that according to a ground survey by the party machinery, the wave of support for PN seen in the last state election is expected to spread to Kuala Kubu Baharu.

PN won the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat in the 15th general election as well as two state seats – Hulu Bernam and Batang Kali – in the state polls last August. The Kuala Kubu Baharu seat, however, has been held by DAP since 2013.

“If we look at the current situation, a Malay candidate would gain significant voter support. This is the trend we are seeing on the ground.

“As leaders at the grassroots level, we express our opinions based on the survey we conducted on the ground,” Khairul told FMT, commenting on a meeting between Hulu Selangor Bersatu and the party’s secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin yesterday.

“We’ve done our part by going to the ground and channelling whatever response we’ve received from voters to the party. We’ll leave it to the party leadership to decide on a suitable candidate,” he said.

Khairul added that Hulu Selangor Bersatu would respect any decision reached and support the candidate put forward by PN leaders.

Last month, Gerakan president Dominic Lau said his party would have an added advantage if it were to contest the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election on May 11.

The by-election was triggered by the death of DAP’s three-term assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong on March 21 following a battle with cancer.

In the previous state election, Selangor Gerakan chief Henry Teoh contested the seat but was defeated by Lee, who secured a 4,119-vote majority.

Selangor Pakatan Harapan has said it will field a DAP candidate.

Meanwhile, PAS vice-president Amar Abdullah said a Gerakan candidate might contest for PN following an agreement reached among PN components during the August state elections.

The constituency has a mixed electorate comprising 50% Malay, 30% Chinese and 18% Indian voters.