KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) intends to contest 35 Parliamentary and 62 State Assembly seats in the 15th General Election (GE15).
The multiracial party president, Senator Datuk Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai said he had received the list of candidates from Gerakan's state liaison chairmen on seats to be contested in GE15.
"I have already instructed the state chairmen to hold a meeting as soon as possible with the respective State Perikatan Nasional chairmen.
"This is so that they can reach a consensus and a decision that will bring success to Perikatan Nasional in GE15," he said.
Lau said this at a press conference after chairing Gerakan's Central Committee Members' Meeting here today.
He said Gerakan was of the view that in GE15 it will focus on quality instead of quantity.
"Therefore, only seats that Gerakan has a high chance will be targeted.
"This is because Gerakan aims to be the primary voice of the people in Malaysia," he said.
Gerakan achieved its best electoral result in 2004, winning 10 parliamentary seats and 30 state seats. Yet 14-years later, the 2018 general election tsunami saw the former Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition member wiped out at the parliamentary and state level.
Gerakan which was a BN member from 1972 to 2018 is currently a component member of PN which also comprises Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, Pas, Homeland Solidarity Party and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).
Meanwhile, commenting on Malaysia being ranked 32nd in the 2022 International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR), Lau said other countries were busy racing to achieve more significant economic growth but Malaysia was busy politicking.
"All nations are experiencing economic and health crises, but Malaysia is also affected by political crisis which has seen the scramble for government and Prime Ministerial post.
"Situations like this also affect the confidence of investors in placing their investments in Malaysia," he said.