KEDAH Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has urged Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir to support and vote for the coalition in the upcoming state polls.
The Kedah Menteri Besar said that it would be wiser for Pejuang to support PN instead of going solo in the polls following the party’s devastating performance in the 15th General Election (GE15) held in November 2022.
“Personally, I am urging him (Mukhriz) to just support and give votes to PN. Even if he contests on his own, he will definitely lose, it will be a waste,” he told reporters after presenting RM1.185 mil cash aid by the state government to 237 Islamic religious and tahfiz schools in the state at the Sungai Petani Municipal Council building today.
Also present was Kedah State Financial Officer Datuk Isahak Murat.
Sanusi was responding to Mukhriz’s statement yesterday (July 5) that Pejuang was still hoping to create a political agreement with PN before the Aug 12 elections in the six states.
Pejuang is hoping that the PN leadership will accept its proposal to join or collaborate with the coalition, according to Mukhriz.
However, Sanusi noted that the decision on Pejuang’s application rested with the PN’s Presidential Council.
“I can’t respond to the matter as it is the prerogative of the Presidential Council, it is best for him to meet the council.”
Earlier in March, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin announced that PN supreme council had decided to reject Pejuang’s application to join the coalition but he did not elaborate on the reasons behind the decision.
Moreover, Pejuang held two seats in Kedah prior to the dissolution of the state assembly on June 28 to make room for the 15th state election.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) announced yesterday that the polls in six states namely Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan will be held on Aug 12.
The nomination process has been fixed for July 29. – July 6, 2023
