Pakatan, Perikatan likely to field locals for Sungai Bakap by-election

LOCAL candidates will likely represent both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) for the upcoming Sg Bakap state by-election in Nibong Tebal, Penang.

With nominations on June 26 and voting on July 6, it is learnt that both PH and PN are finalising their candidates with one main criteria – that both be local residents familiar to the electorate.

The by-election was called after Nor Zamri Latiff, who is from PAS, passed away after weeks of battling a severe bout of gastritis.

According to Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, PH is the underdog here because the incumbent is from PN, led by the state PAS leadership.

Although PH leads the national unity government and has been deeply entrenched in Penang since 2008, the voters there swung to PAS in the last state election in August and may continue to support such a trend.

But this time, PH has learnt the lesson from its last electoral defeat when it fielded an outsider.

Hence, it is probably opting for a local community leader.

PH insiders have confided that their candidate may be one of two doctors, one medical and the other educational.

Former teacher Dr Joohari Ariffin, 60, is among the five candidates that the party has submitted besides medical doctor Dr Amar Pritpal Abdullah, who was the former Sg Bakap assemblyman from 2018 until 2023.

Amar is being considered because of his medical service to the constituents and his former roles as a state deputy speaker and Penang Football Association president. 

Also, with Indian voters at 17% looking to be kingmakers, Amar, a Muslim convert, may get the nod but insiders are also pointing out that Joohari is the type of candidate which PKR hopes can deliver Malay votes and solidify the party among Chinese voters.

He is a former teacher and is involved in many charitable activities.

PAS, however, is finding it more difficult to find a prominent candidate, as Penang is not its power base, and the Islamist party wants a local candidate as local issues tend to stand out during any by-election.

In the last Penang election, which was held concurrently in six states last year, the then Nibong Tebal PAS chief Nor Zamri Latiff beat PH’s Nurhidayah Che Rose, who is the Penang Wanita PKR head, by a 1,563-vote majority after obtaining 15,433 votes.

PAS captured up to seven state seats – a record high for the party, which had previously never featured in Penang although one of its former presidents, the late Yusoff Rawa, is from Penang.

Incidentally, PAS was founded in Butterworth in 1951.

Until the last state election, Sg Bakap was a PKR stronghold, having won it consecutively in 2008, 2013 and 2018.

PAS has a few candidates in mind but of late, one name rose to prominence.

It wants to shed its image as a male-dominated party, with some emphasis given to women, and the widow of Nor Zamri, an entrepreneur, Musalmah Yusop, 55, is said to be among those the party is considering.

State PAS commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff said the party has received a list of candidates from the Nibong Tebal division and other areas.

“We have submitted it to the leadership to decide.”

Based on Election Commission (EC) records from the last state election, the constituency has 38,409 voters, with the majority being Malays (59.36%), followed by Chinese (22.54%), Indians (17.39%) and others (0.71%).

Meanwhile, the recently formed Uramai party may also contest since its top leaders all have power bases in Penang.

Its president P. Ramasamy is a former three-term Penang deputy chief minister II, and is one of the most active critics of his former party, DAP. – June 11, 2024.