MALACCA, 10 Feb 2009: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will most likely field an Indian Malaysian candidate in the Bukit Selambau by-election in Kedah following the resignation of incumbent V Arumugam yesterday.
PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the party would field a candidate in the state constituency because the seat was allocated to PKR.
“There is a big possibility we will field a candidate of Indian descent,” he told reporters last night after a meeting with leaders and members of Malacca PKR in Cheng.
Arumugam, 55, a retired Royal Malaysia Airforce mechanic, contested in the 12th general election last year as an independent candidate.
He won the Bukit Selambau seat, defeating Barisan Nasional candidate S Krishnan with a majority of 7,695 votes.
He emerged at the last minute as the independent candidate when the Returning Officer rejected the nomination papers of Saiful Izham Ramli of PKR on technical grounds.
Arumugam later joined PKR and was appointed a state executive council member.
Anwar said Arumugam had informed him and PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail about his decision to quit as exco member and state assemblyperson.
Anwar also said Pakatan Rakyat would leave it up to PAS to field a candidate in the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election in Perak.
The Bukit Gantang seat fell vacant yesterday after the incumbent from PAS, Roslan Shaharum, 50, died from a heart attack. — Bernama
roy says
Where is Bala? For that matter – where is Arumugam? Strange pattern emerging.