Talks ongoing to pick PH’s Kuala Kubu Baharu polls candidate, says Gobind

DAP national deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo said the final decision on the candidate will be made by the national Pakatan Harapan leadership.

PETALING JAYA: Discussions are ongoing on Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election, says DAP national deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo.

Gobind, who is also the Selangor DAP chairman, said his party has prepared a list of names to be considered by the state PH, Bernama reported.

“Discussions within Selangor PH have been held, and the name of the (chosen) candidate will be presented to the central level where a committee consisting of five leaders will make a decision,” he told Bernama after a Vaisakhi Day prayer ceremony at the Gurdwara Sahib Khalsa camp site in Kuala Kubu Baharu today

“We hope to announce (the name of the candidate) before nomination day.”

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was reported to have said that PH had yet to hold any discussions on its candidate for the by-election to be held on May 11.

“I have not discussed (the matter) with anybody,” the PH chairman said.

Previously, Selangor PH chief Amirudin Shari said a DAP candidate would be fielded to defend the seat.

The by-election follows the death of Kuala Kubu Baharu’s three-term assemblyman, Lee Kee Hiong, on March 21 after a battle with cancer.

Nominations for the by-election will be held on April 27, and early voting on May 7.

The by-election is the seventh by-election to be held after the 15th general election in 2022.

Kuala Kubu Baharu has 40,226 registered voters, including 625 policemen, 238 armed forces personnel and spouses, and one overseas absentee voter.