The Bayan Baru PKR division has announced that Pantai Jerejak state assembly representative Sim Tze Tsin is contesting against seasoned politician M Nyanasegaran, who is former MIC chief in the parliamentary division.

It is learnt that Nyanasegaran, who is the division’s vice-chair, will give Sim, former PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary, a tough fight as he has reportedly about 3,000 members backing his candidacy.

Sim is new in the game and may not have the grassroots backing needed to carry him to victory.

Bayan Baru will hold its polls at the Silver Jubilee Home in Sungai Dua on Sept 25.

The Bayan Baru parliamentary seat, comprising Batu Uban, Pantai Jerejak and Baru Maung state seats, has come under much scrutiny as it is the only constituency in Penang where all its state and parliament seats are under PKR.

The parliamentary seat is up for grabs in the coming general elections since incumbent Zahrain Mohd Hashim’s departure from PKR.

Badmouthing and mudslinging between the two contestants have begun even before today’s nomination.

The Nyanasegaran team had been accused of bringing the “BN culture” into the party, while rumours are circulating that Sim is not even a Bayan Baru division committee member.

Fear of ‘contamination’

Criticisms were also hurled at acting chairperson Tan Seng Keat, seen as a close ally of Sim, for choosing the latter’s constituency service centre in Bukit Jambul as the nomination venue.

Tan was reportedly asked to change the venue to the newly-opened division office in Sungai Ara, which the rumour-mongers claim is located in the Balik Pulau parliamentary constituency.

However, this appeared to be factually wrong as a check with the division showed that Sim is a member and the office in Sungai Ara falls within the Bayan Baru constituency.

“After the last delineation exercise, the office is now under the Bayan Baru constituency; whoever is spreading the rumours must have very old information,” said Tan, when contacted.

Fear of ‘contaminating’ the division with ex-BN members reared its ugly head in the wake of several of PKR representatives from Penang switching their allegiance to become ‘BN friendly’.

They included Zahrain (Bayan Baru MP), Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal MP) and Fairus Khairuddin (Penanti state representative).