Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail speaks during launch of the Malaysian Research Institute of Ageing at Universiti Putra Malaysia in Serdang September 23, 2019. ― Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) will wait for the Election Commission (EC) to announce the by-election for Tanjung Piai before selecting a contestant, coalition president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said today.
The Johor parliamentary seat became vacant after its MP, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, 42, died on Saturday from a heart attack.
“No date. First of all, the EC has to come up with a date for the next by election. Then only the PH will meet,” Dr Wan Azizah, who is also women, family and community development minister, said when asked which of the coalition’s party will contest.
Dr Wan Azizah was speaking to the press after launching the Malaysian Research Institute of Ageing (MYAGEING) in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
In the 14th general election, Dr Md Farid, the Tanjung Piai Bersatu deputy chief, won the seat with just a 524-vote majority over MCA’s Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng.
The parliamentary constituency, a known MCA stronghold in the past, had been traditionally contested by DAP since 2004.
For the general election last year, however, DAP yielded the seat to Bersatu as part of seat negotiations within the pact.
