The Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency is not a 'private limited company', but a constituency in need of a member of parliament who are able to bring development and progress to the people, Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said.

She said the feedback collected by Wanita Umno at the grassroot revealed that voters in Permatang Pauh longed for development and were fed up with the opposition's unkept promises.

"Although Permatang Pauh is deemed the opposition's stronghold in Penang, anything can just happen in politics... especially with the voters' rising thirst for development."

"They want to see development to be brought to Permatang Pauh as soon as possible. If that's what they want, maybe we (Barisan Nasional (BN)) have a chance, but it's all up to them. Our job is to prepare the machinery and go to the ground."

She said this to reporters after holding a meeting with Penang BN and Umno chief Zainal Abidin Osman, which lasted three hours, in Permatang Pauh today.

Shahrizat said the feedback also revealed that voters in Permatang Pauh were sick and tired with the 'Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu' (unchanged) political scenario in the constituency, which involved different candidates but from the same family, even after 17 years.

She said Wanita Umno machinery was all geared up to face the Permatang Pauh by-election and would be launched immediately after the nomination day on April 25.

"Our approach is to speak the truth and to bring the feedback from the grassroot to the attention of the government, so that improvement can be done," she said.

She said Wanita Umno would also strive hard to convince the voters that it was high time for them to have a member of parliament from BN and to stop listening to the empty talk and promises of the opposition.

Two names selected

Meanwhile, Permatang Pauh Umno has submitted two names for the party leadership to consider as a candidate in the by-election.

Division chief Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said said the two nominees are locals and new faces.    

"We in Permatang Pauh are unanimous in our selection and leave it to the party leadership to pick the best candidate for BN.

"Earlier in our discussion the party leadership appeared to agree with our choice of the two nominees.

"And I am confident that the party machinery will not face any problem with whoever is chosen to be the candidate. Our target is to win the by-election this time," he said.

Mohd Zaidi said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Umno deputy president, would reveal the name of the BN candidate on April 23.

"The party machinery is ready with its strategy for the campaign, including wooing Chinese and Indian voters," he said.

Mohd Zaidi was met by reporters after the presentation of 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) to 2,311 recipients at the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency today.

The Permatang Pauh seat fell vacant after its representative Anwar Ibrahim was disqualified when he failed to get a royal pardon for his sodomy conviction.

The PKR adviser is currently serving five years at the Sungai Buloh prison for sodomising his personal assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

The Election Commission has set May 3 for early voting while polling would be on May 7.

    

- Bernama