“Anwar should also drop wife, daughter if PKR seriously wants to inject new blood”
LAWYER and human rights activist Charles Hector is critical of PKR’s 15th General Election (GE15) candidacy whereby the party has dropped many MPs with strong human rights/justice background in favour of “new unknowns” with apparently no history of struggle for justice.
Hector said he could not accept the rationale of the party’s president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that such move was necessary to give new faces in the party a chance to shine.
Well, then why was Anwar’s wife (Datin Seri) Wan Azizah (Wan Ismail), (daughter) Nurul Izzah and even he himself not dropped to make way for new faces in the party?” he lamented in his latest blog.
“Why were others who have been MPs for long not dropped – was it because they were ‘true loyalist’ of Anwar who do not dare to express a different opinion or ‘challenge’ the Opposition leader?”
One of those dropped was Maria Chin Abdullah who was the former chairman of electoral reform group, BERSIH. She won the Petaling Jaya parliamentary seat in 2018 with a 57,137 majority against candidates from Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS.
(From left) Maria Chin Abdullah, R. Sivarasa and Dr Lee Boon Chye)
In its list of MP candidates released on Friday (Oct 28), incumbent Sungai Buloh MP R. Sivarasa was also dropped as was Gopeng MP and former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye.
Other former PKR MPs who will not be defending their seats include Datin Paduka Tan Yee Kew (Wangsa Maju), June Leow Hsiad Hui (Hulu Selangor), Datuk Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani) and Chan Ming Kai (Alor Setar).
Hector is also wary of the phenomena of component parties within the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition dropping of MPs with a human rights background considering that DAP has also dropped incumbent Klang MP Charles Santiago while incumbent Bentong MP Wong Tack chose to contest as an independent after turning down an offer to contest in Cameron Highlands.
“The old MPs of the DAP remain – only newer names are dropped. DAP was democratic in the past with even Team B members being given Parliamentary seats despite their opposition with the leaders. Has things changed in DAP? Is DAP being influenced by the PKR practice?” asked Hector.
The co-founder of non-governmental organisation (NGO) Malaysians Against Death Penalty & Torture (MADPET) said it is also regrettable that also those who were dropped as GE15 candidates “had been working hard for the PH parties on the ground”, believing that they will reasonably be candidates again, until just recently”.
“Now, even the choice and plan to offer themselves as MP candidates – be it as independent or under another party is difficult. They have been denied the right to offer themselves as an MP candidate because of the ‘naughtiness’ of PKR and DAP, too,” claimed Hector.
“Will these candidates now support BN (Barisan Nasional)? Most unlikely as after GE15, they may remain independent with an inclination to support PH or the Opposition.”
He added: “Then it is up to the people (voters) to use their brain and conscience to choose their own MP – and not simply by just voting the name that is standing as PH candidates this coming elections.” – Oct 30, 2022
In its list of MP candidates released on Friday (Oct 28), incumbent Sungai Buloh MP R. Sivarasa was also dropped as was Gopeng MP and former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye.
Other former PKR MPs who will not be defending their seats include Datin Paduka Tan Yee Kew (Wangsa Maju), June Leow Hsiad Hui (Hulu Selangor), Datuk Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani) and Chan Ming Kai (Alor Setar).
Hector is also wary of the phenomena of component parties within the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition dropping of MPs with a human rights background considering that DAP has also dropped incumbent Klang MP Charles Santiago while incumbent Bentong MP Wong Tack chose to contest as an independent after turning down an offer to contest in Cameron Highlands.
“The old MPs of the DAP remain – only newer names are dropped. DAP was democratic in the past with even Team B members being given Parliamentary seats despite their opposition with the leaders. Has things changed in DAP? Is DAP being influenced by the PKR practice?” asked Hector.
The co-founder of non-governmental organisation (NGO) Malaysians Against Death Penalty & Torture (MADPET) said it is also regrettable that also those who were dropped as GE15 candidates “had been working hard for the PH parties on the ground”, believing that they will reasonably be candidates again, until just recently”.
“Now, even the choice and plan to offer themselves as MP candidates – be it as independent or under another party is difficult. They have been denied the right to offer themselves as an MP candidate because of the ‘naughtiness’ of PKR and DAP, too,” claimed Hector.
“Will these candidates now support BN (Barisan Nasional)? Most unlikely as after GE15, they may remain independent with an inclination to support PH or the Opposition.”
He added: “Then it is up to the people (voters) to use their brain and conscience to choose their own MP – and not simply by just voting the name that is standing as PH candidates this coming elections.” – Oct 30, 2022
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