MELAKA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Melaka plans to announce its candidates for the upcoming state election earlier to give its new faces sufficient time to be fully prepared before facing voters.
Acting chairman of the Melaka PKR Leadership Council Adam Adli Abdul Halim said the candidate selection process is undergoing several stages of screening, starting at the branch and state levels, before being submitted to the central level to be finalised by the party president.
"We have a history where, several times previously and due to various factors, we had difficulty announcing the names of candidates early. So, this time, we have made sure that we can prepare early because we are trying to field many new faces.
"This is also to ensure there is a balance of voices between women and young people. Due to these factors, we have to prepare the candidates well in advance," he told reporters after the launch of the Keadilan Election Machinery for the Hang Tuah Jaya branch in Taman Bukit Piatu here on Saturday night (Aug 29).
He said the Melaka PKR would also strengthen its election machinery through a series of launches in Tangga Batu, Hang Tuah Jaya, Alor Gajah, Masjid Tanah and Jasin.
Adam Adli, who is also the Deputy Higher Education Minister, said its priority now was to ensure the party had a strong election machinery ready to get cracking, regardless of who was eventually selected as a candidate.
"Before we name any candidate, the most important thing is for us to ensure we have a solid machinery, one that works for the party and is ready to support any candidate we field in the upcoming election," he said.
Commenting on cooperation talks between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional, he said informal discussions between the political parties had been held, but formal negotiations to finalise the form of cooperation had yet to be held.
According to Adam Adli, communication between parties was not only important to discuss the possibility of cooperation, but also to ensure the election is contested in a healthier manner and to avoid a culture of harsh and dirty politics.
He said Pakatan and Barisan, however, had expressed their willingness to hold discussions, with Pakatan election director Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari having contacted Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusof to find a suitable time for a meeting.
Adam Adli said Pakatan also had its own preparations for the Melaka state election and did not rule out the possibility of going it alone if negotiations with Barisan fail to reach an agreement. – Bernama
