ARAU: Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim today confirmed he will defend the Arau parliamentary seat on a Perikatan Nasional (PN) ticket in the 15th General Election (GE15), ending speculation that arose after Barisan Nasional dropped him as a candidate.
Shahidan said he believed PN was the right platform to unite Umno, Pas and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
"I will stand as a candidate for a coalition that can unite Umno, Pas and Bersatu. We share common struggles for race, religion and the country," he said at a press conference at the Arau parliamentary constituency service centre here today.
The Arau Umno division chief said his party also fights for race, religion and the country, but it was currently led by someone who had betrayed Umno divisions, in particular the Arau division.
"If we look at the criteria to be a leader, I think he is not qualified because I have been election director five times and we have never disrupted the divisions.
"Look at the candidates being fielded this time. It is unacceptable that none of the (five) candidates that the division proposed had been chosen."
Before the press conference, Perlis PN chairman and Perlis Pas commissioner Mohd Shukri Ramli was sighted at the service centre, further fuelling speculation that the former menteri besar would contest as a PN candidate.
The official announcement on Perlis PN's candidate for the Arau parliamentary seat will be made at the Perlis Pas Complex in Kangar tonight.