MASJID TANAH: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has asked all party division leaders to submit a list of candidates who will contest in the 15th general election (GE15).
The list involves nominations at the grassroots, branch and division levels to be shortlisted before being decided at the highest level of the party.
Masjid Tanah Bersatu division chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, in revealing this, said all division heads had been informed to ensure that only truly qualified candidates were nominated.
In addition, Srikandi Bersatu has also been asked to screen and make nominations to ensure women from the party are given the opportunity to defend existing seats at the state legislative assembly and Parliament levels, besides seizing seats from opposition parties, she said.
"All levels can propose... for example, I am the head of Masjid Tanah Bersatu division. I will submit the proposal.
"Even though I am a member of parliament for Masjid Tanah from Bersatu, I will hold a meeting next week to discuss suitable and worthy names," she said.
Mas Ermieyati told this to reporters after presenting funds amounting to RM45,000 to nine schools in the Masjid Tanah parliamentary constituency here today.
A total of six national schools, one Chinese national type school and two secondary schools received RM5,000 per school to help implement various academic development programmes for their respective institutions.
Mas Ermieyati, who is also the Srikandi vice-chief, also revealed that she had helped Srikandi chief Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun examine the list of candidates for the wing to help the party win the hearts and minds of voters in GE15.
"She (Rina) will receive a list from Srikandi grassroots level and we will shortlist their names before presenting them to the leadership," she said.
On her willingness to defend her seat if asked by the Bersatu leadership, Mas Ermieyati said: "Whether I am chosen as a candidate, we always work to strengthen the party at the branch, division and state level. It is up to the leadership to decide."
However, she refused to comment on the remark by Umno Melaka liaison chief Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh yesterday that the party was determined to seize the Masjid Tanah parliamentary seat, in addition to the Alor Gajah, Tangga Batu and Hang Tuah Jaya parliamentary seats.
Rauf was also reported to have said that Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) will ensure that BN wins the Jasin seat in GE15.
GE15 in Melaka will probably only involve contests for the six Parliament seats, as state elections were held in November last year.
