KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan will field at least 60 per cent new faces representing all races in the country for the 14th general election (GE14), party president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said.
He said Gerakan's candidate list, which was submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Sunday, includes contenders for 45 Parliamentary and state seats.
Najib had earlier attended a 75-minute closed-door briefing at the Gerakan headquarters here with its party leaders.
"We showed the prime minister what we have done in terms of preparation, and our readiness in areas we'd like to contest.
"The prime minister advised us to be on standby mode. No final decision has been made on the candidate list, as we just submitted it today," he said at a media conference here on Sunday.
In the GE13, Gerakan contested 45 Parliamentary and state seats. However, the party managed to win only two Parliamentary seats and three states seats.
Of the 45 seats, Mah said the party is currently negotiating on four to five (both Parliamentary and state seats) with other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.
He declined to divulge which seats were being negotiated, but said that talks on swapping seats are being held to ensure a win-win situation for all component parties.
"MCA and Gerakan will work closely together because we want a win-win situation. Working together is the only way forward," he said.
Mah, who is also the Teluk Intan Member of Parliament, expressed confidence that Gerakan will be able to win back some of its previous seats in Penang.
"With all the issues happening involving the Penang state government, I'm sure the people would want a checks and balances system in the state.
"Thus, I am confident that the people of Penang will elect a few Gerakan representatives in GE14.
"The DAP-led state government is becoming arrogant, as they won all the seats in Penang before. This is why I am confident we can do better this time around," he added.
On Gerakan’s GE14 preparations, Mah said that the party will boost its disciplinary committee by introducing a special unit which will ensure that there is no element of sabotage among party members regarding candidates.
"The committee will also help ensure that there will be no sabotage among other BN component parties, and we will monitor this even on election day itself,” he said.