KUALA LUMPUR: PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said he was proud to nominate PKR central committee member Zaid Ibrahim as candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election.
He described Zaid as a principled man who had quit his post as law minister because he was against the Internal Security Act.
“I'm proud to nominate Zaid as a candidate because he is a true warrior, who despite all the unfounded allegations levelled at him, soldiers on,”said Anwar.
“Pakatan believes Zaid can bring about vital and necessary changes to Hulu Selangor if given the mandate by the voters for the parliamentary seat.”
He was talking to reporters late yesterday in Parliament.
Anwar said BN was delibrately provoking Zaid by linking him to past actions and events which he had nothing to do with.
"BN is afraid to face Zaid is trying to influence voters and win sympathy for it, but voters are a discerning lot and are losing faith the BN.
“It does not matter who BN nominates, Pakatan is game for a battle in Hulu Selangor and prevail," he added.
Anwar said Pakatan’s win in past by-elections were indications that the voters were ready to give their undivided support to Pakatan one again.
DAP candidate for Sibu
Meanwhile, Anwar put an end to speculations on the Sibu by-election when he confirmed that Pakatan will field a DAP candidate.
“We felt a DAP candidate would be the most suitable choice to represent Pakatan in the battle to wrest the seat from BN," he said.
The seat held by former deputy transport minister Robert Lau, a four-term MP, fell vacant last Friday when he passed away after a long illness.
BN through its coalition partner, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has been holding the seat since 1990.
On Tuesday Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng said the party had identified eight potential candidates for the by-election.
Among them were a sole women candidate Alice Lau, former SUPP member Wong Ching Yong, David Wong, Stephen Lu, new faces Oscar Ling, Lau Hui Ung and Yap Hai Loi and Ho Leng himself.
“We have gone to the state constituencies over the last nine months. We have been on the ground working in Pelawan, Bawang Assan and Nangka,” he said.
Pelawan, Bawang Assan and Nangka are three state constituencies under the Sibu parliamentary boundaries.
In the 2006 Sarawak elections, Sibu posed a three-cornered fight between DAP, PKR and BN. DAP and PKR collectively lost to Lau on a 3,232 vote difference.
The EC is to meet on April 16 to decide on the nomination and by-election dates.
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