TAMPIN: The Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Gemas state seat, Siti Aishah Seman @ Othman, believes that being a local candidate should not be a point of contention as she has lived in the constituency for nearly three decades.
She said the matter was not important in her bid to unseat incumbent Ridzuan Ahmad of Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the Negeri Sembilan election this Saturday.
Siti Aishah said the issue would not distract her from campaigning with the support of a well-organised party machinery.
“I was not born in Gemas, but I have lived here for almost 29 years, since 1998.
“I do not see it as an issue because there have been elected representatives before who were not originally from Gemas,” she said.
Siti Aishah, who is contesting for the first time, is determined to pull off an upset by becoming a “giant killer” if she succeeds in defeating the PN candidate.
She acknowledged the significance of the challenge given the cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and PN, but said BN’s decision not to field a candidate for the seat gave PH an opportunity to secure victory.
“I have been with PKR since 2018 and am grateful for the opportunity to contest in Gemas.
“This area was once a BN stronghold before it was won by PN. With the spirit and strength of our party machinery and the hard work throughout the campaign, I am confident we have a chance of winning this seat,” she said.
Siti Aishah added that, if given the mandate, she would prioritise speaking on the behalf of Gemas residents by focusing on development, economic growth and local needs.
“I want to champion the aspirations of the people of Gemas and ensure that their development and welfare continue to receive attention,” she said.
The Gemas seat will see a three-cornered contest involving Siti Aishah, Ridzuan and Bersatu candidate Azman Abdullah.
In the 2023 state election, Ridzuan won the Gemas seat with a majority of 3,120 votes.
