Gerakan has yet to finalise the list of nominees for the Barisan Nasional candidate in the upcoming Ketari by-election although four names have been leaked to the press.

The list has not been finalised yet and it could be anybody who is local. There are so many potentials, said party secretary-general Chia Kwang Chye.

Press reports today quoted sources as saying that physician Dr Ng Keong Chye, lawyer Yum Ah Ha, dentist Hoh Soh Chye and Commissioner of Oaths Leong Yen Kung have been named as potential candidates for the Ketari state assembly seat.

The seat was made vacant following last Sundays demise of Ketari state assembly representative Loke Koon Kam, who had suffered from jaw cancer.

Loke was the chairperson of the Pahang state Gerakan and chief of the Bentong division.

Chia, who has since taken over Lokes duties, however, did not confirm nor dispute the names of the four saying that it was just speculation by the media.

We will hold a divisional meeting on Friday followed by a state-level meeting on Sunday. Only then will we forward the name over to the central working committee. After that we will give the name to BN chairperson (and prime minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Chia said.

He added that the party has to get feedback from the grassroots first.

Utusan Malaysia also quoted party president Dr Lim Keng Yaik as saying that the candidates name would be decided at a central committee meeting next week.

When contacted, party vice-president S Vijayaratnam said the central committee meeting this Saturday at the partys headquarters in Kuala Lumpur will also discuss the candidate issue.

Hotly contested by DAP

Ketari, a town in the district of Bentong, has always been hotly contested but never won by opposition party DAP.

In the 1999 elections Loke garnered a total of 5,874 votes while DAPs Chong Siew obtained 5,643 votes  a difference of 231 votes.

A similarly intense contest is expected between DAP and Gerakan in the impending by-election, with the former already having identified two candidates.

Barisan Alternatif component Keadilan, which has expressed interest in contesting, has yet to finalise its list while its other ally in the front, PAS, has announced that it will not be contesting in the by-election.

There were 17,357 voters in 2001, comprising 9,372 Chinese Malaysians (54 percent); 6,759 Malay Malaysians (38.94 percent); 907 Indian Malaysians (5.23 percent); and 319 other Malaysians (1.84 percent).