Norhizam has pledged to defend the Pengkalan Batu constituency. — Picture via Facebook/Norhizam Hassan Baktee
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 — Former Pengkalan Batu assemblyman Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee said that DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has no say in whether he contests the November 20 Melaka state election under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) banner.
In a report by Free Malaysia Today, Norhizam, who was part of former chief minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron’s quartet that was responsible for the fall and dissolution of the Melaka state assembly, claimed that DAP has lost its support, especially among the Malays.
“Am I joining DAP? Who in DAP is going to stop me? I did not say I want to return to DAP.
“If I join PKR, what has it got to do with Lim? If I join Amanah, what has it got to do with Lim? If I join Pejuang, what has it got to do with Lim?
“He is a DAP man and should just look after his own party. You know that the people have rejected this Chinese party,” he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Norhizam told The Star that PH party component PKR’s top leadership has accepted him.
“PKR feels I am priceless,” he was quoted as saying.
He added that he has pledged to defend the Pengkalan Batu constituency.
“Anyway, it’s up to the discretion of the leadership should they want me to contest in another constituency,” he added.
Yesterday, Astro Awani reported Lim as saying that Norhizam will not get the chance to contest next month’s Melaka state election as a PH candidate.
He said DAP is firmly against Norhizam and will take the matter up with the PH presidential council.
Norhizam won the seat in the 2018 general election on a DAP ticket, only to declare himself an independent assemblyman in support of Umno in March last year, leading to the Perikatan Nasional coalition becoming the state government.
Along with three others, the former state executive councillor in charge of agriculture, entrepreneurship and agro-based industry recently withdrew support for the new state leadership under Umno’s Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali, causing the dissolution of the Melaka state legislative assembly, which triggered the latest poll.