Gerakan to focus on Penang state seats as strategy to return as govt

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau does not intend to contest for a parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE 15) but will contest in the Penang State Legislative Assembly (DUN) and lead the election machinery in the state when it is dissolved.

He said Gerakan positioned Penang as a 'front state' and the 'winning' strategy to return to Parliament and the State Assembly in GE 15.

"I have often emphasised that I will not contest for a parliamentary seat in GE15 because I want to contest in the Penang state assembly and lead the PN (Perikatan Nasional) election machinery in the state if it is dissolved," he said.

"Penang is also the starting point of Gerakan and I am a native of the state," he said at a press conference in conjunction with GE15 Gerakan Candidate Announcement Ceremony at Menara PGRM here today.

The Penang state assembly was not dissolved to hold election simultaneously with the Parliamentary level in GE15 following the decision of Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council not to dissolve the state assembly for the three states ruled by the coalition, namely Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

Lau in the meantime said Gerakan will contest in 20 parliamentary and 14 state seats under PN in GE15, as well as featuring 26 new faces.

According to him, a total of 14 Gerakan candidates are aged 45 and below and the youngest candidate is 25-years-old, Pang Boon Yang, who will contest in the Canning state seat in Perak.

He said PN's main strategy in GE15 is to focus on new voters, namely Undi18.

Undi18 was gazetted on December 15, 2021. Those aged 18 are automatically registered as voters.

The Election Commission (EC) has set candidate nomination day for GE15 this Saturday (Nov 5), polling day on Nov 19 and early voting on Nov 15.

-- BERNAMA