BENTONG: Born and raised here, S. Prabakaran is strongly tipped to contest in Ketari.
This is because Barisan Nasional is hoping to field a local candidate to wrestle the state seat back from DAP in the 14th General Election (GE14).
The 39-year-old state Gerakan Youth vice-chairman has been shortlisted as a potential candidate due to his commitment and ability to work with people of all races in the constituency.
His father, Datuk M. Sathasivam, is the party’s state liaison committee vice-chairman.
Bentong Gerakan division chairman Dr Ng Keong Chye said Prabakaran had the backing of branch leaders and members.
“Our division will only support a local candidate for Ketari. We will help Prabakaran to win the seat. The division is not in favour of any other candidate,” he said.
A branch chairman, who declined to be named, said Gerakan was prepared to field Prabakaran because he was popular in Ketari.
“BN had never lost the Ketari state seat in seven general elections until 2013, when we swapped seats with MCA and contested in Tanah Rata,” he said.
“Sadly, our candidate, Datuk Ho Yip Kap, lost in Tanah Rata and MCA’s candidate, Woong Choo Yak, lost in Ketari. We are relieved that both parties have swapped seats again for GE14.
“We can now field our own candidate to regain the seat. Gerakan has been working hard and our voters, who have been supporting us all these years, are prepared to give us the mandate again.”
He said Prabakaran, a three-term Bentong municipal councilor, had been spotted going down to the ground often to check drains, attend events in the Orang Asli community and multi-racial programmes.
In GE13, DAP’s Lee Chin Chen beat retired teacher Woong by a 2,140 majority. But for GE14, Lee is running against Bentong MCA division Youth chief Jason Poo Mun Hoong for the Bilut state seat. DAP has named Young Syefura Othman, 28, to contest in Ketari.