No dispute behind delay in naming 6th candidate, says Samsuri

Perikatan Nasional (PN) has denied that disagreements among its component parties are behind its decision to withhold the announcement of one of its six candidates for the Melaka state election.

PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the coalition had yet to name its candidate for Kota Laksamana as it was still assessing several individuals before making a final decision.

“It is not that we are short of candidates, but there are several assessments and final considerations to be made. There are a few outstanding matters that we need to resolve.

“There is no dispute among the component parties. The delay is solely related to the candidate.

“We will resolve everything before nomination day,” he said at a press conference after PN’s candidate announcement ceremony in Bukit Katil last night.

PN announced candidates for five state seats: Paya Rumput, Ayer Keroh, Bukit Katil, Kesidang and Bemban.

PN and Barisan Nasional (BN), which have formed an electoral alliance for the Melaka state election, will contest six and 22 seats, respectively.

When asked about the decision to allow MCA to contest the Bandar Hilir seat, Samsuri said the matter was mutually agreed upon.

The delay comes amid tensions between PN and one of its component parties, the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP), which decided to sit out the Melaka election after failing to reach an agreement with the coalition over seat negotiations.

MIPP did not attend PN’s candidate unveiling ceremony last night.

Its president, P Punithan, told FMT that a strong alliance must be built on trust and respect for the interests of every component party.