GOPENG: Perak People’s Progressive Party (MyPPP) today lamented their frustration and demanded a negotiation in the allocation of state assembly seat in the state.
Its chairman Ong Chee Keng said the party was aimed at contesting in Pasir Bedamar state assembly seat but it has been fielded by the MCA candidate and no seats had been allocated for MyPPP so far.
“The decision has been made without discussion with the party components including Barisan Nasional (BN), MCA and MyPPP. The seat was allocated to MCA, and up to today, there is no seat for us (MyPPP).
“According to a Chinese daily newspaper, Pasir Bedamar state assembly seat has been taken over by MCA as a replacement for Sungkai state assembly seat. We feel upset because we never get to attend any meeting or discussion among the party components especially the seat distribution meetings,” he said at a press conference at MyPPP office here today.
Ong also said that MCA would say that they need to contest at the Pasir Bedamar state assembly seat since it was their traditional seat.
“But the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) and Deputy Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) have said that what is more important is a winnable candidate and not the popular ones. Zahid has said that even Mat Sabu (Mohamad Sabu) who is famous, still cannot win.
“If we want to apply the traditional principle, in 1973 MyPPP (which was known as PPP) held four parliamentary seats and 12 state assembly seats,” he said.
Ong said the situation and scenario had changed and MyPPP could not contest in the seats where it used to win.
He hoped the Perak BN chairman who is also Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir could look into this matter and hold a discussion on seat allocation between the party components as soon as possible.
During the 13th General Election, MyPPP had contested at one parliamentary seat which was Kepong (Kuala Lumpur) and four state assembly seats in Kota Laksaman (Melaka), Kota Alam Shah (Selangor), Pasir Bedamar (Perak) and Manik Urai (Kelantan).
However, the party lost all seats.