Siti Kasim to contest in Batu for GE15
Human rights lawyer Siti Kasim has announced that she will contest as an independent candidate in the Batu parliamentary seat in the next general election.
She is one of the candidates unveiled by Gerak Independent in a press conference today.
The political reform group also announced four other candidates including activist KJ John (for Petaling Jaya), former journalist Charles CJ Chow (Subang), Wangsa Maju resident Raveentheran Suntheralingam (Wangsa Maju) and Sabah-based lawyer Roland Cheng (Kota Kinabalu).
There are all seats currently held by opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan - four were won by PKR and two by DAP in the last general election. P Prabakaran, who took Batu as an Independent, has since joined PKR.
Siti said Gerak Independent has identified 15 seats but it will contest in less than 10.
She stressed the importance of being elected into Parliament in order to change the country.
"Why is it that they (civil society groups) fight for these issues but nothing has changed? Or there’s only been a little change despite them making a lot of presentations to the government, meeting with ministers, being involved in roundtable discussions, and all that. Why?
"Because only Parliament can change the policies and laws that are being implemented," Siti was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insight.
"This is why I keep saying, if you want change in Malaysia, you have to have good people in Parliament then only will you get good policies," the activist added.
Tawfik Ismail undecided on seat
Meanwhile, former Sungai Benut MP Tawfik Ismail was quoted by The Star as saying he is still undecided which constituency to contest.
"I could contest in Pontian or Simpang Renggam, which was my former constituency of Sungai Benut.
"I could also contest in Mersing, Pagoh, Ampang or Langkawi," said Tawfik, who is also the son of former deputy prime minister Ismail Abdul Rahman.
Most of these seats are held by big guns - Pontian (Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan), Simpang Renggam (former education minister Maszlee Malik who switched from Bersatu/Pejuang to PKR), Mersing (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Latiff Ahmad from Bersatu), Pagoh (former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin from Bersatu), Ampang (Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, who switched from PKR to Bersatu) and Langkawi (former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad from Pejuang).
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