THE United Rights of Malaysian Party (URIMAI) helmed by former Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy wants all opposition parties to consolidate their strength and resources to field a winnable candidate to defeat the PH-BN (Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional) unity coalition in the forthcoming Kuala Kubu Bharu (KKB) by-election.

The KKB state seat which is part of the bigger Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency fell vacant following the demise of its three-term DAP state assemblywoman Lee Kee Hiong, 58, who succumbed to ovarian cancer last Thursday (March 21).

Lee beat Gerakan’s Teoh Kien Hong by a 4,119-vote majority at last year’s Selangor state election. She first won the seat in 2013 after defeating MCA’s Ooi Hui Wen with a 1,702-vote majority and defended it in 2018 with a 7,134-vote majority over MCA’s Wong Koon Mun before winning a third term last year.

According to Urimai’s secretary-general Satees Muniandy, the party’ leadership council has mandated former DAP stalwart and Perai state assemblyman Ramasamy as its chairman to engage the opposition parties to consolidate strength of the opposition bloc to face KKB the by-election.

“URIMAI is committed to hit the campaign trail to defeat the forces of the PH-BN coalition in the coming KKB by-election,” Satees who was former DAP Bagan Dalam state assemblyman pointed out in a media statement.

“URIMAI’s election committee for KKB by-election will be headed by the party’s deputy chairman David Marshel. This committee will plan, strategise and mobile voters to support the opposition candidate.”

Earlier, Satees said URIMAI’s interim leadership council which met yesterday (March 25) has taken note of the importance of the KKB by-election under the current political scenario.

“We are cognisant to the view of our Selangor state leadership that the coming by-election will provide an opportunity for URIMAI to gauge its political standing in the constituency as 18% of voters are Indians,” he contended.

“The leadership council is of the unanimous opinion that a united front opposition will be the best option under the present political circumstances to oppose the ineffective PH-BN led government.”

As per the latest census, Indians made up 18% of the KKB total eligible voters of 40,015 during the Aug 12 six states election last year with Malays at 46.4%, Chinese (30.7%) and others (5%). - March 26, 2204

https://focusmalaysia.my/kuala-kubu-bahru-is-maiden-acid-test-for-ramasamys-urimai-to-gauge-its-political-influence/