KANGAR: For the first time, Perlis PAS is fielding a woman in the general election, announcing lawyer Wan Badariah Wan Saad for the Mata Ayer state seat in Perlis.
Perlis PAS commissioner Mohd Shukri Ramli said Wan Badariah, a local who hails from Padang Siding, has her own law practice in Kedah.
“Perlis PAS had always wanted to field female candidates but no one took up the challenge before the 15th General Election (GE15).
“Thank God, this time around, there is a woman candidate in Perlis, and she has received the blessings of her family to contest,” he told Bernama after launching the Perlis Wanita Perikatan Nasional election machinery at the Perlis PAS Complex here on Thursday.
Shukri, who is also Perlis Perikatan chairman, said other PAS candidates in Perlis would be announced on Nov 2.
In GE14, Barisan Nasional’s Siti Berenee Yahaya won the Mata Ayer seat with a 720-vote majority, beating PKR’s Lt Kol (Rtd) Azhar Omar and PAS’ Mohammad Yahya.
There are 15 state seats in Perlis, of which Barisan has 10.
Meanwhile, Perlis DAP chairman Teh Seng Chuan said the party planned to also field a Malay candidate in Mata Ayer, adding that two names had been submitted to the party’s central leadership and Pakatan Harapan for consideration.
“One is a woman lawyer and the other is a male, also a Malay. The DAP leadership has also decided to field a candidate in the Titi Tinggi state seat,” said Teh, expressing his interest in contesting again in the constituency.
In GE14, Barisan’s Teh Chai Aan won Titi Tinggi with a 142-vote majority, beating DAP’s Teh, PAS’ Kamis Yub, and independent candidate Yaccob Man.
According to the electoral roll updated as of Oct 9 this year, Mata Ayer has 9,662 voters and Titi Tinggi has 13,403.
