Lau also said the party will establish its election machinery immediately. Potential candidates have been told to go to the ground to meet the voters.

“Previously, the election machinery would be established after Parliament is dissolved. But now, we are going to identify the candidates and they would have to go to the ground immediately,” he said after opening the Selangor Gerakan assembly here.

Lau said the party would give priority to quality over hierarchy when it came to choosing candidates for the general election.

He said Gerakan candidates should be able to understand the legislative process, as MPs and assembly members would have a hand in drawing up policies and enacting laws.

“If they do not understand the drafting of a bill, how can they represent the people be it at the state assembly or in Parliament,” he said.

Members keen on becoming a candidate would need to observe every sitting of the legislature and understand the role of an elected representative, he said.

In the 2022 general election, Gerakan, a member of Perikatan Nasional, failed to win any of the 20 parliamentary seats it contested, and won only one of the 14 state assembly seats.