KUALA LUMPUR: The PKR political bureau has decided on the choice of its candidate to be nominated to represent Pakatan Harapan (PH) for the Rantau by-election on April 13.
A party source revealed that the bureau which held its meeting on Wednesday, chaired by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had decided that the person most qualified to contest in the polls was an Indian candidate.
Present at the party's political bureau meeting was Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar and state PKR chief, Aminuddin Harun.
"Last Wednesday, the political bureau held its meeting specifically to decide on the Rantau by-election candidate. The name of the candidate which has been decided would be discussed at the PH Presidential Council meeting for a final decision.
"What I can confirm is that the candidate decided upon is not Datuk Hanif (Hasan). This is provided that there is no last minute change," he said.
Asked whether the PH Rantau candidate could be the anesthesiologist, the source neither acknowledged nor denied.
"PH especially PKR does not want to fall into the racial politics scope as practiced by the opposition, so the candidate chosen was not based on the policy of race.
"The fact that was taken into account (in coming to the decision) was that it (Rantau) had the eighth highest Indian voters out of the 505 state assembly voters nationwide.
"The Indian voters make up 27 per cent of the total voters in the state constituency and PKR cannot ignore this fact," said the source.
The Rantau state seat sees Malay voters comprising 52 per cent, Indians (27 per cent) and Chinese (21 per cent).
Before this, a number of reports had speculated that apart from Dr Streram, the others being touted as candidate were Rembau PKR Division Chief R. Tanggam, Rembau PKR Wanita Chief K Bathmavathi and Rembau PKR Committee Member Saparin Musa.
The other possible names thrown about as the candidate were Rembau Deputy PKR Chief and lawyer Datuk Hanif Hasan as well as former Malaysian Ambassador to China and a Rantau local, Datuk Iskandar Saharuddin.
The Rantau by-election is the seventh to be held following the 14th general Election.
It was necessitated by the Federal Court dismissal of an appeal filed by Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan to set aside the Nov 16 Seremban Election Court decision declaring his unopposed victory in the 14th general election (GE14) as null and void.
In GE14, Mohamad was declared the winner of the seat after Dr Streram was prohibited from entering the nomination centre to submit his nomination papers because he did not have a pass issued by the Election Commission
Voters will go to the polls on April 13 to elect their new representative. Nomination date for the Rantau by-election will be on March 30.
Early voters will cast their votes on April 9.
There are 20,926 registered voters comprising 20,804 ordinary voters, 118 early voters and four absent voters. There are also 541 disabled voters.
