State polls: PRM announces five candidates for Penang

GEORGE TOWN: Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) will bank its hopes on five candidates for Penang in the upcoming state elections.

The party named three men and two women who would be contesting in the state during the Aug 12 state polls.

Leading the charge is state PRM chief and former Tanjung Bunga assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu, and his deputy 81-year-old Ravinder Singh, who contested in the Bayan Baru parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election.

Teh, 64, and Ravinder will contest in Air Putih and Pantai Jerejak respectively.

Former PKR member Abdul Ghani Haroon, 58, will try his luck for the third round, this time, contesting the Sungai Pinang state seat.

Abdul Ghani contested the Pinang Tunggal state seat in 1999 and Dusun Tua in Selangor in 2004. He lost both.

Contesting for the first time is party activist Goh Chuin Liao, 56, and Lee Chui Wah, 63.

Lee, a former administration manager, will try her luck in Tanjong Bunga.

Goh, who is disabled and a former architect, will contest in her hometown in Pulau Tikus.

During the announcement ceremony, all five candidates received appointment letters from party deputy president Datuk Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor.

Mohamad Ezam said despite losing badly in GE15, PRM is hoping to get an improved result in the state polls.

He said the party received many requests from NGOs, civil societies and the people for the party to place its candidates in the state election next month.

"These are the requests from the people who want us to be the voice for them in many issues, especially over the Penang South Island project.

"From here, we can see that the people in Penang are desperate for change and want us to become an effective opposition," he said during a press conference at Gurney Drive on Saturday (July 22)

He said the party is confident to win at least two or three seats in the state polls and will be able to be the voice for the people if given a mandate in the state assembly.

Mohamad Ezam said the party will announce its candidates in Selangor next week.

In GE15, PRM contested five parliamentary seats and lost all.