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KUALA LUMPUR – DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) to allow independent candidate Tawfik Ismail to contest the Bagan Datuk seat under the coalition’s banner.
The PH presidential council should “give a proper and positive response” to Tawfik’s request to stand against Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Lim said in a statement.
“This will be an excellent way to highlight the theme of the 15th general election (GE15) – that is to ensure Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders do not escape from being charged in court for corruption and sent to jail,” Lim said.
The coming election, happening on November 19, should be about fighting corruption and rebuilding Malaysia, he added.
Tawfik, of the Gerak Independent movement, was reported saying that he had approached a few senior leaders from PH yesterday with his request to stand in Bagan Datuk under its ticket, according to Free Malaysia Today.
Zahid has held the seat since 1995.
Tawfik, formerly an Umno lawmaker and son of Malaysia’s second deputy prime minister, the late Tun Ismail Abdul Rahman, has said that Zahid cannot be allowed to represent Malays because of his multiple corruption charges.
“He must not be allowed to have that role, for the dignity and self-respect of the Malays, given the legal charges against him,” Tawfik had told The Vibes.
There have been rumours, however, that Zahid will not contest in Bagan Datuk, but this has been denied by his daughter and the Bagan Datuk Umno division chief.
Also in the fray for the Umno stronghold in Perak is PKR’s Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, who has offered to vacate his Hang Tuah Jaya safe seat in Melaka to take on Zahid. – The Vibes, October 24, 2022