All Pakatan candidates to use PKR logo.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties will be contesting the 14th General Election (GE14) under the logo of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
All four parties in the opposition coalition – PKR, DAP, PPBM and Amanah – will unite under the PKR logo in GE14, said PH chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Announcing this at a ‘ceramah’ in Pasir Gudang, Johor, yesterday, he said the opposition pact made the decision as they could not contest using the PH logo since PH has not received approval to register as a formal party, and also because PPBM has been deregistered.
It is believed that this decision only affects PH candidates in peninsula Malaysia, with those in Sabah and Sarawak not bound by this ruling.
Mahathir revealed that the decision of which symbol to use was not an easy one.
“DAP has used their rocket symbol for many years, others are also partial to their symbol,” he said.
“However, for unity’s sake, all four parties have agreed to use one logo. I am glad because this was impossible to achieve in the past,” said Mahathir.
The mixed crowd from all backgrounds was seen gathering at the Taman Bukit Dahlia park in Pasir Gudang from as early as 8pm.
Mahathir, wearing a PKR lapel pin, arrived at the park by 9pm to a rousing crowd.
Many of those who attended had expected PH to make a major announcement on candidates, but only Amanah named their candidates for Johor.
At the event, PH also announced two manifestos for the people of Johor, namely 10 promises to be fulfilled in the next five years and 10 promises to be fulfilled in the first 100 days of forming a state government.
The offers included reintroducing the Johor state scholarship, establishing a Universiti Johor, job opportunities and affordable housing.
Also present at the event were PH deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, PAN president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
Earlier, in a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir said PPBM members would be contesting 52 parliamentary seats.
“Our members will contest as independent candidates in the polls under a common logo used by Pakatan. If they say we are illegal, then we can’t say we are from Pribumi.
“But the 52 seats still belong to us – not Pribumi but the group that was formerly Pribumi,” he told reporters in his office at Yayasan al-Bukhary.
Pribumi members, said the former premier, had every right – like any other Malaysian – to contest as a candidate in the polls.
“We can use any logo and we can stand as individuals. As ex-Pribumi members, we are citizens of this country and we have every right to contest in the elections.
“If there is any party which allow us to contest under its name, we will do so as independent candidates,” said Mahathir.
Pakatan previously allocated Pribumi 52 seats, followed by PKR (51), DAP (35) and Amanah (27) in the elections.
Pribumi members, said Mahathir, would however not be joining the other component parties in PH following the disbandment notice issued by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
On Thursday, the RoS had ordered Pribumi to temporarily disband for 30 days as it had failed to fulfil the body’s Feb 28 notice requesting for documents and details of the party.
Pribumi now has 30 days to fulfil RoS’ request for more documents and file an appeal, failing which the party will be permanently deregistered.
Mahathir also said Barisan Nasional (BN) was “afraid that the opposition will be contesting under one logo.
He said when prime minister Najib Razak saw PKR, DAP, Pribumi and Amanah united and that we were strong, he became afraid that we could win and BN lose.
“He was most afraid of PPBM because he is hoping for Malay votes but the Malays are supporting us. This is why he outlawed PPBM and PH. We rejected the notice we received and this is why I still wear PPBM clothes, have meetings and meet the press.”
He also said Pakatan would need to win big in all seats with huge majorities of up to 10,000 to 50,000 should they hope to form the Government.
The huge majorities, he claimed, was to prevent BN from manipulating the elections.