PAS backs Wee in Tg Piai

JOHOR BARU: PAS has given its full support to MCA's Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng as Barisan Nasional's candidate in the Tanjung Piai by-election.

The party's secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (pic) said that PAS top leaders would be attending the nomination day on Saturday (Nov 2) as a show of support.

"I hereby confirm that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has agreed with Barisan's choice of candidate, who is Wee from MCA for the by-election held on Nov 16.

"PAS is confident that the candidate was chosen based on local needs in Tanjung Piai, which we believe is the best formula to win votes and strengthen the opposition's voice on the national level," he said in a statement here on Thursday (Oct 31).

Takiyuddin added that this would bring about a mature political approach that is not extreme.

He stressed that its support was in line with the Umno-PAS joint charter, which was signed on Sept 14.

The Tanjung Piai by-election is likely to be a three-cornered fight after Barisan announced Wee as its candidate on Wednesday (Oct 30) night.

Pakatan had announced Karmaine Sardini from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) while Gerakan named Wendy Subramaniam as their respective candidates.

Tanjung Piai is a mixed seat with 53,528 registered voters comprising 57% Malays, 41.66% Chinese and 1% Indians.

The by-election was triggered after its MP Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, 42, died of heart complications on Sept 21.

The Election Commission has set Nov 2 as nomination day and Nov 16 as polling day.