©The
Star
(Used by permission) Monday February 18, 2008
Perak Barisan breathes easier after Fong’=
;s
pullout
IPOH: It will be easier for Barisan Nasional now that incumbent Batu Gaj=
ah
MP Fong Po Kuan has opted to stay out of the contest, said Perak Barisan ch=
ief
Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali.
“It might be easier for our candidate who is a lady if she is not
fighting against another lady.
“Barisan will be fielding a woman candidate in Batu Gajah regardle=
ss
of who the opposition fields there,” he said when commenting on Fong's
decision not to offer herself as the DAP candidate in this general election=
.
Speaking to reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum betwe=
en
the state government and Gulf Petroleum (M) Sdn Bhd yesterday, Tajol Rosli =
said
Barisan’s preparation for the elections had been geared towards facing
Fong, a two-term MP.
In Ayer Tawar, Gerakan adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said FongR=
17;s
withdrawal only showed that the DAP was party-oriented and not people-orien=
ted.
“They don’t care about the performance of their candidates in serving the people. They only think about strategies for the party.”<= o:p>
“I think that the strategy they had created for Fong was what ange=
red
her and caused her to pull out,” he told reporters after visiting the
construction site of the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Kampung Wellington
yesterday.
Dr Lim said: “Fong is not a selfish girl. She is a straight-talking
politician. For me, I’ve always liked this kind of people.”
He added, however, that Fong’s decision would definitely favour the
Barisan.
“You can bet your life we will make full use of it. After all, you
think that if we (Barisan) had problems, they (the opposition) would not ma=
ke
use of it?” he said.