Trouble brewing in Segamat PN over ‘extremely weak’ candidate
R Sivarajah (left) wants PN to put up a stronger candidate to take on formidable rivals such as former MP Edmund Santhara Kumar in Segamat.
PETALING JAYA: With nominations for the Nov 19 general election set for tomorrow, the Johor Bersatu associates wing has threatened to shut down its machinery in the Segamat constituency if Perikatan Nasional does not replace the candidate it has named for the seat.
Wing chairman R Sivarajah said grassroots members in Segamat are disappointed with the coalition for naming an “extremely weak and unpopular candidate” as his challengers from the other parties are heavyweights.
He said if P Poobalan is not replaced, the party workers would not be on the ground during the campaigning.
“Poobalan is no match for big names like Barisan Nasional’s M Ramasamy, who is the MIC treasurer. As for PKR, its Supreme Council member R Yuneswaran has been nominated. And the former MP there, Edmund Santhara Kumar, is standing for Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).
“With these big names, Poobalan, who has no political experience, may even lose his deposit. He is also not popular in the constituency and has not even set up the election operations centre yet despite being named as the candidate three days ago,” he told FMT.
Sivarajah, who also heads the Segamat Bersatu associates wing, said PN was lagging far behind in Segamat in terms of reaching out to the people compared to BN and PH whose machinery were already at full steam.
He said the party should consider asking the national associates wing’s chairman, Chong Fat Ful, to stand in Segamat if PN hoped to win this seat. About 49% of the electorate is Malay with Chinese voters making up 41% and Indians 10%.
Santhara won in 2018 on a PKR ticket against then MIC chief Dr S Subramaniam, who was the health minister, by a 5,476-vote majority. After the Pakatan Harapan federal government collapsed, he crossed over to Bersatu and was appointed its associates wing chief.
He quit Bersatu last month to join PBM.
PETALING JAYA: With nominations for the Nov 19 general election set for tomorrow, the Johor Bersatu associates wing has threatened to shut down its machinery in the Segamat constituency if Perikatan Nasional does not replace the candidate it has named for the seat.
Wing chairman R Sivarajah said grassroots members in Segamat are disappointed with the coalition for naming an “extremely weak and unpopular candidate” as his challengers from the other parties are heavyweights.
He said if P Poobalan is not replaced, the party workers would not be on the ground during the campaigning.
“Poobalan is no match for big names like Barisan Nasional’s M Ramasamy, who is the MIC treasurer. As for PKR, its Supreme Council member R Yuneswaran has been nominated. And the former MP there, Edmund Santhara Kumar, is standing for Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).
“With these big names, Poobalan, who has no political experience, may even lose his deposit. He is also not popular in the constituency and has not even set up the election operations centre yet despite being named as the candidate three days ago,” he told FMT.
Sivarajah, who also heads the Segamat Bersatu associates wing, said PN was lagging far behind in Segamat in terms of reaching out to the people compared to BN and PH whose machinery were already at full steam.
He said the party should consider asking the national associates wing’s chairman, Chong Fat Ful, to stand in Segamat if PN hoped to win this seat. About 49% of the electorate is Malay with Chinese voters making up 41% and Indians 10%.
Santhara won in 2018 on a PKR ticket against then MIC chief Dr S Subramaniam, who was the health minister, by a 5,476-vote majority. After the Pakatan Harapan federal government collapsed, he crossed over to Bersatu and was appointed its associates wing chief.
He quit Bersatu last month to join PBM.
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