PKR Melaka to Announce State Election Candidates Earlier

MELAKA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Melaka intends to announce its candidates for the upcoming State Election (PRN) earlier, in order to give new faces ample time to prepare before facing the voters.

Acting Chairman of the PKR Melaka State Leadership Council, Adam Adli Abdul Halim, said the candidate selection process is currently going through several stages of screening, starting at the branch and state levels, before being submitted to the central level to be finalised by the party president.

“We have had several instances before where, due to various factors, we found it difficult to announce candidate names early. So, this time we have already ensured that we can make preparations earlier, because we are also trying to present many new faces.

“This is also to ensure a balance of voices between women and the youth. With these factors in mind, it means we have to prepare these candidates earlier,” he said after the launch of the PKR Hang Tuah Jaya branch election machinery at Taman Bukit Piatu here last night.

Meanwhile, he said PKR Melaka is also strengthening its machinery preparations through a series of machinery launches in Tangga Batu, Hang Tuah Jaya, Alor Gajah, Masjid Tanah, and Jasin.

Adam Adli, who is also Deputy Minister of Higher Education, said the priority at the moment is to ensure that the party has a strong machinery ready to work regardless of who the eventual candidates will be.

“Before we name any candidates, the most important thing is for us to ensure that we have a solid machinery, a machinery that works for the party and is ready to carry any candidate we field in the upcoming election,” he said.

When commenting on the cooperation negotiations between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN), he said that usual discussions between political parties have already taken place, but formal negotiations to finalise the form of cooperation have not yet been held.

According to Adam Adli, communication between parties is important not only to discuss possible cooperation, but also to ensure that electoral competition takes place in a healthier manner and to avoid a coarse and dirty political culture.

“PH and BN have however expressed their readiness to hold discussions, with PH Election Director Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari having contacted Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh to find a suitable time for a meeting,” he said.

Adam Adli said PH also has its own preparations for the upcoming Melaka state election and does not rule out the possibility of going solo if negotiations with BN fail to reach an agreement.

BERNAMA