BN To Allocate Permanent Seat To PPP To Contest After Parliamentary Seat Delineation

TAIPING, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali today said that Barisan Nasional (BN) would allocate a permanent parliamentary seat to PPP to contest in the next general election after a redelineation exercise.

He said the move to have PPP President Datuk M Kayveas to contest in the Taiping parliamentary seat on March 8 was only a temporary measure because the BN component party would be given a permanent seat after the exercise.

Tajol Rosli said Kayveas was named to contest in Taiping because he was a president of a component party in BN and the decision made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was based on the principles of camaraderie.

"I will discuss with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the BN Supreme Council to enable Kayveas to stand in the new parliamentary seat in the next general election," Tajol Rosli said after attending a ground-breaking ceremony of a factory Kamunting Raya Industrial Park here.

The Taiping parliamentary seat was previously contested by Gerakan but in 2004, Kayveas stood in that seat and Perak Umno had to make a sacrifice by offering the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat to Gerakan. This time around Perak Umno gave up the Gerik parliamentary seat to Gerakan.

In the coming election, Kayveas will face Perak DAP Youth Chief Nga Kor Ming.

In the 2004 general election, the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, won by a majority of 2,172 votes in a three-cornered fight against Parti Keadilan Rakyat and DAP.

The Taiping parliamentary seat has 65,889 voters and three state seats are in its constituency -- Kamunting, Pokok Assam and Aulong.

Asked on BN's chances in Taiping, Tajol Rosli who is also the Perak BN Chairman, hoped that urban voters would support Kayveas in his second parliamentary bid and other BN candidates for the state seats as well.

"Kayveas has carried out his responsibilities well as an MP for Taiping throughout the whole term... he is a good worker, he is a bit vocal but works efficiently," he said. -- BERNAMA