PKR confident of cooperation from PAS in Permatang Pauh by-election

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will continue discussions with PAS and is optimistic the two parties will reach a consensus to cooperate in campaigning for the Permatang Pauh Parliamentary by-election.

Penang PKR chairman Datuk Mansor Othman said all party levels in PKR and PAS would continue with discussions to resolve the issue before nomination day on Saturday.

Conceding that there was dissatisfaction among PAS members, he was still confident that party members would support the PKR candidate to be announced soon.

"I don't feel that this matter will prolong and I am confident PAS will give its full support to PKR," he told reporters after launching the PKR Media Centre at Bangunan Yayasan Aman, here today.

He said the DAP and PAS had agreed to make way and they would support the PKR candidate to contest in this constituency.

Mansor, who is also the Permatang Pauh PKR by-election director, said the party would announce its candidate on April 24 at the Seberang Perai Arena.

He said all the PKR, PAS and DAP leadership lineup would be present during the announcement of the candidate.

The Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election is being held following the decision of the Pardons Board to reject the petition for a royal pardon sought by the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim through his family members, thus depriving Anwar of his eligibility as an elected representative.

Anwar is serving a five-year jail sentence after being found guilty of sodomising his personal assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

The Election Commission fixed nomination day for the Permatang Pauh by-election on April 25, and polling on May 7.

Meanwhile in George Town, Penang PAS deputy commissioner Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the party would not use the Permatang Pauh by-election as a platform to explain the implementation of the 'hudud' law in Kelantan.

"The Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election is led by the PKR because the party is contesting there. So, PAS will follow their campaign and why should I suggest to the PKR to explain the hudud throughout the campaign.

"PKR will determine the priority for their campaign and for PAS, what is important is that the campaign strategy is to win in Permatang Pauh," he told reporters after the 207th anniversary celebration of the Lebuh Acheh Malay Mosque, here.

Also present at the media conference was Mansor who is also the chairman of the Penang Islamic Foundation and Penang PKR chairman.

Meanwhile, Mujahid said everyone, especially Permatang Pauh PAS must abide by the Central PAS directive to assist the PKR machinery in the Permatang Pauh by-election.

"Besides the Penang PAS, the PAS machinery from Perlis, Kedah and Perak would also help," he said.