PKR has open the door to all the three non-Barisan Nasional candidates in the Batu parliamentary seat who are willing to work with the party in the event the incumbent Chua Tian Chang cannot contest in the May 9 polls.

The PKR vice-president, popularly known as Tian Chua, said he is willing to endorse any of the three non-BN candidates if his court appeal against his disqualification to contest is rejected on Thursday.

“Whichever candidate that endorses the Pakatan Harapan agenda will get our support in case I cannot defend my seat.

“I am not persuading anyone. I am not negotiating with anyone. They can make a decision any time provided they understand our cause,” Chua said after a ceramah at Pusat Komersial Sinar in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, last night.

The Batu seat will now see a four-cornered fight between Dr Dominic Lau (BN), Azhar Yahya (PAS) and independent candidates P. Prabakaran and V.M. Panjamothy.

Chua won the seat in 2008 and defended it in 2013, defeating Lau by 13,284 votes.

He was, however, disqualified from contesting in the 14th general election on grounds of a RM2,000 fine set by the Shah Alam High Court on March 2 this year for insulting a police officer.

Chua’s lawyer filed an originating summons at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday, challenging the disqualification.

The High Court is expected to give its decision on Thursday. The Batu incumbent is confident that the court will affirm that he is qualified to stand for the elections.

“The court should not deny PH from contesting. If they do, then they will be denying the rights of 70,000 voters here,” he told a crowd of more than 800.

Chua then urged the crowd not to vote for BN, no matter what happens to his appeal. If no one is willing to join PKR, then I will leave it to the Batu voters to choose.” – May 1, 2018.