SEREMBAN: Rembau PKR deputy chief Dr S. Streram, 60, will not take this second chance lightly and is determined to work hard to win in the polls for the Negeri Sembilan state seat.
The anesthetist who is representing Pakatan Harapan (PH) said he was hopeful and convinced that voters would give him the opportunity to represent them.
“I will work hard to win this seat,” he said briefly in a press conference with PH component parties’ leaders after the nomination process at the Bandar Sri Sendayan National Type School (SJKC) here today.
The Rantau by-election will see a four-cornered fight between PH’s Dr Streram, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan representing Barisan Nasional (BN) and two independent candidates, Malarvizhi Rajaram and Mohd Nor Yassin.
Meanwhile, Mohamad, 63, who has been the incumbent for three terms since 2004, said he was confident of retaining the seat.
The Umno deputy president said he was aware that it would be a monumental task to defend the seat which would also determine his political future.
“I will meet as many Rantau constituents as possible, to convince them that it is crucial to vote for the Barisan Nasional (BN) to ensure an effective check and balance system in the state,” he said.
Mohd Nor, 67, a former lecturer of Raja Melewar Teachers’ Training College in Seremban said the reason for his contesting in the by-election was to celebrate democracy and to bring Islamic-based developments in the area.
For 51-year-old Malarvizhi, she wants to fight for developments in Rantau which according to her had been neglected for the past five years.
The former radio host who was based in Toronto, Canada was raised in Kampung Ganapathy, Rantau, and received her early education at the Government English Primary School Port Dickson before continuing secondary education at SMK Sultan Ibrahim in Johor.
The by-election has been necessitated by the Federal Court dismissal of an appeal filed by Umno deputy president and former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan to set aside the Nov 16 Seremban Election Court decision declaring his unopposed victory in the 14th general election (GE14) null and void.
In GE14, Mohamad was declared the winner of the seat for Barisan Nasional (BN) after Dr Streram, the potential Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate, was prohibited from entering the nomination centre to submit his nomination papers because he did not have a pass issued by the EC.
The Rantau constituency has 29,926 registered electors, comprising 20,804 ordinary voters, 118 early voters and four absentee voters. – Bernama
