BN Padang Serai candidate to be considered for role in govt, says Saifuddin

C Sivaraj, the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for Padang Serai parliamentary constituency, will be considered for a suitable role in the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Pakatan Harapan (PH) secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says.

Saifuddin said Sivaraj had agreed to give way and unconditionally support the PH candidate to win in the election on Dec 7.

"Sivaraj’s withdrawal was made unconditionally. But I’m convinced that as a young leader, Sivaraj deserves a spot.

"In a new government like ours, surely there are places that these young leaders deserve and we will consider it," he told reporters after attending a PH political talk in Kulim last night, along with Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, Sivaraj and PH candidate Mohamad Sofee Razak.

Saifuddin said Sivaraj’s withdrawal from the election was done following discussions between PH, MIC president SA Vigneswaran and BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
 
He said one of the reasons posed by PH to justify BN’s withdrawal was PH’s agreement to give way to BN’s candidate in the Tioman state election in Pahang.

"So in the spirit of the existing coalition government consisting of both these blocs in Tioman, PH withdrew, while in Padang Serai, Sivaraj gave way and I have stressed repeatedly he did so unconditionally, just like the withdrawal in Tioman was done without any conditions," he added. 

On Anwar’s self-appointment as finance minister, Saifuddin who is also home minister said the names proposed and presented to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had been done according to due process and after taking all matters into consideration.

"One decision, of course, has its pros and cons, and we went along with it as we are confident that with his experience, he is able to lead this important ministry," he said.