Nizar vs Zambry for Bukit Gantang - Malaysiakini

IPOH, Feb 9 — Perak DAP has proposed a Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin versus Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir contest for the Bukit Gantang by-election, in what is already shaping up as a referendum on the political impasse in Perak.

Perak DAP Chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham mooted the idea at this evening’s emergency general meeting.

Tonight, at a Chap Goh Mei event in the new village of Bali, Tronoh, secretary Nga Kor Ming expounded on the idea, calling it a battle to see who is the rightful mentri besar.

“He is the best candidate for Bukit Gantang,” the Taiping MP said. “As you can see, even the Chinese here support Nizar,” he told the 300-strong crowd.

“Then we will see who the people accept as their mentri besar,” he told the audience at this Chinese outpost about 30km south of Ipoh.

“We will take the by-election as a fresh mandate against the coup d’etat by Barisan Nasional,” he told reporters after the dinner which was also attended by Nizar and Ngeh.

He also cited a recent Merdeka Centre poll that suggested only 41 per cent of respondents agreeing Datuk Seri Najib Razak would make a good prime minister.

According to Nga, an NTV7 SMS poll also saw only five per cent of respondents saying BN would take Bukit Gantang in the imminent by-election.

Nizar, however, told reporters that the decision on a candidate will be up to the Pakatan Rakyat leadership.

When quizzed on whether the contest would determine whose side Perakians were backing in the current stand-off, he said “it is too soon to analyse.”

Earlier today, Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin had said that the by-election would be a measure of people’s confidence.

“Before that, the BN government must prove that stability and confidence can be returned,” he said. - By Shannon Teoh