Rembau PKR rivals rumble for Rantau

SEREMBAN: Rival factions in the Rembau PKR division are at odds over who should be fielded as Pakatan Harapan’s candidate should a by-election be held in Rantau.

Rembau PKR chief R.Tanggam said the majority of members had, during a meeting on Wednesday evening, agreed that a local and preferably a woman should be fielded.

“Our top choice is division Wanita chief A. Bathmavathy, a local from Sendayan.

“Being the state PKR deputy Wanita head, she fulfils the criteria for a winnable candidate,” he said when contacted.

Dr Streram however, said he was not an outsider as he had been working tirelessly in Rantau for the past three years.

“Tanggam wants the position for himself or for Bathmavathy who happens to be his wife.

“Although I am confident that I will get the nod for all the work that I have done, I will leave it to the leadership to decide,” he said.

Rantau is one of four state seats in the Rembau parliamentary constituency.

Tanggam said the division would propose Bathmavathy since no woman was fielded by the state PKR in Negri Sembilan in the May 9 general election.

Tanggam said the division also proposed him as one of the five candidates to contest.

“Apart from being the division head, I was nominated because I have been with the Reformasi movement from day one,” he said.

Asked about a statement by Mentri Besar and state PKR chief Aminuddin Harun that Rembau deputy chief Dr S. Streram was the state’s top choice, Tanggam said he was free to air his views.

“In previous general elections, the incumbent from Barisan Nasional (Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan) always won comfortably because he was a local.

“Although Dr Streram won the deputy post in the division in recent party polls, he is not a local, and this may jeopardise our chances of winning,” he said.

Tanggam and Dr Streram were in rival teams during last month’s party polls.

He also claimed that Dr Streram had the least support from division members compared to the other four proposed names.

Tanggam said the meeting also agreed that all names would be forwarded to PKR headquarters for a final decision.

Dr Streram was Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for the May 9 general election but he was disqualified after he was barred from entering the nomination centre for not having a valid pass issued by the Election Commission.

Mohamad was then declared winner of the seat, but on Nov 16, the Special Election Court here ruled his election as null and void and a a by-election was ordered.