BAGAN DATUK: Stating that Barisan Nasional’s candidate list for the Melaka election is not final, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) said MCA’s dissatisfaction over the announcement of candidates will be resolved before nomination day next week.
The Barisan chairman said the list could still change and that he has yet to sign the letters of endorsement.
Hence, component party leaders could still discuss candidacies, he added.
“It is true that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong was caught by surprise as the secretariat did not inform him that candidates would be announced at the event.
“We will resolve this issue. We will hold discussions before the Oct 31 nomination day,” he told reporters after flagging off the Bagan Datuk Sultan Nazrin Shah Bridge Run.
Ahmad Zahid said he would leave the matter to Melaka Barisan chief Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh to resolve.
On claims that the candidate list had yet to receive the endorsement of the MCA leadership, the Barisan chairman explained that initial discussions had been entrusted to Ab Rauf together with the state MCA leadership.
He reiterated that there was still room for negotiations if MCA was unhappy with the candidates announced.
On Saturday night, MCA leaders walked out of Barisan’s candidate-naming event for the Melaka polls, saying that the party would not accept decisions made without its consent.
Dr Wee had said the party felt sidelined after seats it had previously contested were allocated to other parties without proper consultation, despite MCA’s long-standing role as a Barisan component party.
Barisan announced the coalition’s candidates who will contest in 21 seats, including two candidates from MCA, namely incumbent assemblymen Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem and Datuk Lim Ban Hong.
Ngwe was named as candidate for Machap Jaya, while Lim is Klebang candidate.
The state election will be held on Nov 14, with nomination on Oct 31.
