Lim Kit Siang said last night that Pakatan Harapan’s
performance in the Sungai Besar by-election is crucial as it would give the
fledgling pact a clear indication of how the nation would vote in the 14th
general election some two years away.
He said a victory for Pakatan Harapan and Amanah would send a clear message to Putrajaya that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must give a full explanation of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and RM2.6 billion political donation controversies.
He added that the victory would also indicate that Pakatan Harapan’s agenda for a change of guard in Putrajaya is back on track.
But he however admitted, that it would be a “miracle” task for
Pakatan’s candidate from Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) to win this June 18, as
not only is the seat a traditional Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold, both
Pakatan and Amanah are newborn entities that have yet to test their political
prowess in a poll.
“But it is not impossible, and miracles do happen, although
few and far between,” the DAP veteran said.
He said the way to win the poll lies in Chinese-majority
Sekinchan, one of two seats under the Sungai Besar federal constituency.
Sekinchan is currently a DAP stronghold and has been held
for three terms now by assemblyman Ng Suee Lim.
“History now beckons to Sekinchan to assume leadership for a
new role, not just as the base suitable for farming, fishing and tourism, but a
political leadership role to ‘Save Nation, Promote Democracy’,” Lim said.
He added that although Sungai Besar has always been a BN and
Umno fortress, it is also the third most marginal and unsafe parliamentary seat
won by the ruling pact in Election 2013.
Lim noted that during the polls, BN secured the seat against
PAS, which was at the time still campaigning as a member of Pakatan Rakyat,
with a wafer-thin majority of just 399 votes.
“If Malaysians are to achieve in the 14th general election
what they failed to do on May 5, 2013 — to achieve a change of government in
Putrajaya — then Sungai Besar has an important and even pivotal role, as it is
one of the seats which must be won by the opposition from Umno/BN control.
“If Pakatan Harapan cannot win Sungai Besar in the June 18
by-election, the chances do not look good that there will be a change the
government in Putrajaya in the 14th general election,” he said.
Sungai Besar is a primarily rural federal constituency with
42,836 registered voters, 67.18 per cent of whom are Malay, 30.18 per cent
Chinese and 1.91 per cent Indian.
The late Datuk Noriah Kasnon, whose death triggered the
by-election, won the seat by just 399 votes in Election 2013.
BN’s Sungai Panjang assemblyman Budiman Mohd Zohdi will face
PAS’s Meru assemblyman Dr Abdul Rani Osman along with Amanah’s Sungai Besar
chairman Azhar in the June 18 polls
Source - Malay Mail Online-
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