Umno’s Tanjung Piai division is insisting that Barisan Nasional (BN) break from tradition and field a candidate from Umno instead of MCA in the by-election triggered by the death of PPBM’s Md Farid Md Rafik.
“MCA had the seat for too long and Tanjung Piai is a Malay-majority area,” said the division’s chief, Jefridin Atan.
He said 88 branch leaders in the division passed a resolution at a meeting last Saturday demanding that BN choose a candidate from Umno.
He also said his division had prepared a list of names chosen from its ranks to help Johor Umno decide whom to choose as the candidate. His name is on the list.
“If the branch leaders in the division were to be successful in their bid, who better to be the candidate than the division chief? The party leadership will have to take note of the matter as it is what the grassroots want,” warned a local party leader, who did not want to be named.
“If someone else were to be named or if MCA were to be given the seat, Umno members would likely sabotage the by-election (campaign).
“Furthermore, everyone here knows Jefridin. He was touted as a potential candidate for GE14.”
The meeting of 88 Umno branches under the Tanjung Piai division was also attended by leaders of Tanjung Piai Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings.
Jefridin said the division wanted the seat as MCA had failed to retain the support of the voters in the constituency and have fared poorly in subsequent elections.
“We called for a division meeting in preparation for the by-election. Our will to contest in this seat is very strong.
“During GE14, MCA candidate Wee Jeck Seng lost in nine areas where Chinese voters were the majority. In several mixed areas, he only won marginally.
“Percentage-wise, MCA’s votes have been on a slide since GE12, until they lost the seat in the last general election,” he said.
Jefridin claimed that the people of Tanjung Piai preferred a Malay candidate and said he was confident Umno would win the seat now that it had formalised a pact with PAS.
He said his division would advise Johor Umno to tell the party’s national leadership that BN needs a Malay candidate for Tanjung Piai.
The Umno Supreme Council will meet this Thursday. “I hope this matter will be discussed,” Jefridin said.
Apart from Jefridin, four other names have been brought forward as a BN candidate, including former Johor menteri besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who is Umno vice-president, and Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan in Negri Sembilan.
Wee, who is Tanjung Piai MCA chief, is said to be keen on contesting in the by-election. MCA is also considering fielding its Youth chief Nicole Wong.
Tanjung Piai, a parliamentary constituency, used to be a battleground for MCA and DAP, but DAP made way for PPBM in the last general election.
Farid won the seat with a majority of 524 votes. The incumbent, MCA’s Wee Jeck Seng, garnered 20,731 votes and PAS’ Nordin Othman got 2,962.
Wee had held the seat since 2008. Before that, it was held by Ong Ka Ting.