PPBM no threat to BN, says Bashah

The Kedah menteri besar says the PPBM party machinery in Kedah is weak and depends on other Pakatan Harapan partners.

Kedah Menteri Besar Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said there are no PPBM party workers on the ground.

ALOR SETAR: Kedah Menteri Besar Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah today dismissed the possibility of Pakatan Harapan’s PPBM posing a threat to Barisan Nasional (BN) in Kedah.

The Kedah Umno chief said there were those in PPBM who were angry with Umno but it was only a small group.

“The number is just too small. There are no PPBM party workers on the ground. Rather, they are relying on the election machinery of other parties, such as Amanah and PKR.

“There is hardly any support, so they are just relying on other member parties. This is why they are all contesting under one logo,” he said, referring to PH’s decision to use the PKR logo as a common logo in the 14th general election (GE14).

Bashah said this after announcing the Kedah BN candidates for 15 parliamentary seats and 36 state seats at Seri Mentaloon here.

The announcement saw 15 new faces for state seats, as well as three new faces for the parliamentary seats. Bashah will be standing in Suka Menanti, previously known as Bakar Bata, where he is the incumbent.

When asked why there were changes to the candidates’ list and if certain quarters had lobbied to be nominated as candidates, Bashah admitted that there was a certain degree of lobbying.

However, he said, the final list of candidates had been endorsed by national BN chairman Najib Razak.

“The leadership has chosen candidates who are winnable and likeable. We want to ensure victory,” he said.

On whether there would be issues with the candidates that were dropped, Bashah said he had already spoken to them and they had given their assurance that they would give their full support.

“It is not the end of the world if they are not chosen as candidates. We have to be together in this,” he said.

Bashah added that BN was ready and confident to face multi-cornered fights in the polls. -FMT