Pas, PKR showdown for Sg. Acheh state seat?

Penang Pas commissioner Datuk Mohamad Salleh announced that Penang Pas Youth chief Mohamad Yusni Md. Piah as the candidate for Sungai Acheh state seat, last night.

“The decision of the Pas central committee is final, Pas will contest in Sungai Acheh,” he said after announcing the candidate at the Pas Pongsu Seribu quarter, here.

When repeatedly asked by the reporters for explanation, Mohamad Salleh repeatedly said, “Pas will contest in Sungai Acheh.”

He said, the decision was made after Pas had discussed the matter with PKR and DAP.

He also expressed that it was “weird” as to why PKR also announced a candidate for that seat.

Penang PKR chairman Datuk Mansor Othman on Tuesday announced that his party will defend the Sungai Acheh DUN seat which it won in at the 2008 general election.

PKR’s candidate for the PRU-13 is Badrul Hisham Shahrin, or more known as Chegubard. He is the PKR Rembau division chief and heads the NGO, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM).

The Sungai Aceh DUN seat, of which the majority of voters are Malays, is under the constituency of Nibong Tebal.

During the announcement of Badrul Hisham’s candidacy, Mansor said Pas and PKR Pulau Pinang had completed negotiations for the state seat and Pas had agreed for a PKR candidate to contest.

The Sungai Acheh DUN seat has traditionally belonged to Pas but it gave it to PKR during the last general election.

During that election, PKR candidate Dr. Azhar Ahmad lost of Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Mahmud Zakarian with a small majority of 250 votes.

During last night’s event, Pas also announced corporate figure Datuk Abdul Rahman Maidin as the candidate for Tasek Gelugor Parliamentary seat.

Abdul Rahman was the former chairman of media conglomerate Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) and had been a majority shareholder of Syarikat Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (TV3).

He was also the former Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce chairperson and joined Pas early December of last year.

Pas also introduced two new faces. Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamuddin is the candidate for the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat and Rosidi Hussin as the candidate for the Penaga state seat.

For the Permatang Berangan state seat, Pas is banking on Arshah Salleh, while Asnan Hashim for Bayan Lepas state seat and Salleh is a candidate for Permatang Pasir state seat.