SUNGAI PETANI, 2 April 2009: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) said today it is impossible for any of the 13 independent candidates to win the Bukit Selambau state by-election.
PKR information chief Tian Chua said their presence would only split PKR’s votes and confuse the voters.
“It is unlikely that any of them can win. They don’t stand a chance, not even a mathematical chance, of winning the seat,” he told reporters here.
He claimed that the presence of too many independents were tactics employed by the Barisan Nasional to split PKR’s votes.
Tian Chua also said that PKR’s position among the top in the list of candidates in the ballot papers would give it an advantage.
He dismissed claims that the party had tried to influence independent candidates to withdraw from the contest and support the PKR.
“If it is true, they should report the matter to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission,” he said when commenting on claims by one of the independent candidates, A Jayagopal, that PKR leaders had met him and tried to persuade him to withdraw from the contest.
Jayagopal is PKR’s former Pokok Sena division chief.
In the 12th general election, independent candidate V Arumugam beat BN’s S Krishnan with a 2,362-vote majority.
He later joined PKR and appointed state executive councillor but vacated the seat in February, citing personal problem as among the reasons. — Bernama
