Kedah Kita to go for 18 seats

It is shortlisting candidates for six parliamentary and 12 state constituencies.

SUNGAI PETANI: Kita will contest six parliamentary and 12 state seats in Kedah in the coming general election.

Zamil Ibrahim, who leads the party’s Kedah chapter, revealed this today at a function to announce the manifesto Kita will use in the state.

The federal seats are Alor Star, Kuala Kedah, Merbok, Sungai Petani, Padang Serai and Kulim –Bandar Bahru and the state seats are Derga, Bakar Bata, Kota Darulaman, Gurun, Bukit Selambau, Tanjung Dawai, Pantai Merdeka, Sidam, Bakar Arang, Kuala Ketil, Lunas and Kulim.

Kedah has 15 federal and 36 state seats.

The constituencies that Kita has chosen are racially mixed and have not been traditional strongholds of any party, according to Zamil.

He claimed that Kita was capable of replacing PKR and DAP in Kedah.

“PKR and DAP won the last time due to a political tsunami, not due to their strength,” he said. “They never had a firm political presence in Kedah. We are capable of turning the tables against them next time. We can fish in trouble waters.”

He also claimed that Kita was experiencing a surge in local support.  Kedah Kita has 1,000 members.

Zamil said Kita was prepared to work with any party to form the next state government, but not at the expense of its election promises.

“If we were to join the next state government, we would ensure that our election promises would be fulfilled within two years. We would not compromise on that.”

The manifesto carries the motto “Moderate, Democratic and Liberal” and promises, among other things, to provide free electricity and water to all houses of worship.

Zamil said Kita’s top brass had agreed with the decision to contest the 18 seats and that 20 candidates had been shortlisted although the search for potential candidates was continuing.

The state leadership would submit between two and six names for each seat to the top leadership.

Zamil said Kita had no racial quota for candidature.

“We will only field winnable candidates,” he said. “We may even field Malay candidates in the seats contested by Chinese candidates from BN and Pakatan.”

He said Kita would campaign at nightly flea markets and through dialogue sessions and door-to-door visits.