PH to use PKR logo in Sungai Kandis by-election

PUTRAJAYA: It looks like a repeat of the 14th General Election in the Sungai Kandis polls with Pakatan Harapan set to reuse the PKR logo and flag and the former Umno candidate likely to contest again.

Pakatan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said it was “too soon” to contest using its own logo in the by-election although the coalition had formally been registered by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

“There is not enough time to familiarise the people with the Pakatan logo. We do not want to confuse them.

“So, we will contest using PKR’s logo and flag,” Dr Mahathir told reporters after chairing the Pakatan presidential council meeting yes­terday.

Pakatan, he added, had also agreed for the candidate to be chosen from PKR.

The by-election was called after PKR’s Sungai Kandis assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafie passed away on July 2 due to lymphatic cancer.

The Election Commission will meet on Monday to discuss the polls date.

In GE14, Pakatan parties had used the PKR logo as its common symbol after its formal registration as a coalition was not approved by ROS, which only gave the green light after the new Government was formed.

In SHAH ALAM, Kota Raja Umno chief Datuk Kamaruzzaman Johari is tipped to re-contest the seat.

A Barisan Nasional source said Kamaruzzaman topped the list of several names submitted to the party leadership.

“I am willing to re-contest if given a chance but will leave it to the party leadership to decide on the suitable candidate,” said Kamaruzzaman, who garnered 11,518 votes, losing to Shuhaimi who obtained 23,998 votes.

PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he had already asked Selangor PKR to come up with a short-list of candidates.

On another matter, Dr Mahathir said the absence of deputy ministers in several portfolios would not adversely affect the Cabinet.

“In the Cabinet, when a minister is absent, another minister can represent them. But they cannot be represented by deputy ministers.

“The only problem is during the Dewan Rakyat meetings because usually, the deputy ministers will speak on their ministers’ behalf,” he said.

The members of the Cabinet were sworn in on July 2, except for the posts of one minister and three deputies, which remain vacant.

Dr Mahathir said the posts would be filled by non-MPs, who first had to be appointed as senators.

The posts are for the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (National Unity and Social Well-Being) and the deputies at the Defence Ministry, the Economic Affairs Ministry and the Housing and Local Government Ministry.