GE13: Pakatan to field strongest candidates in Selangor
(The Star) – With the battle for Selangor heating up, Pakatan Rakyat is not leaving anything to chance and will continue to field some of their strongest generals to lead the charge.
While PKR has taken the lead to defend Selangor by announcing its candidates on Monday night, both DAP and PAS are still keeping their cards close to their chest.
State PKR chief Azmin Ali and caretaker Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who are both eyeing the coveted top post in Selangor, were appointed as “generals of the battle” with the latter being picked as the state Pakatan election director.
According to sources in DAP, most of the incumbents are expected to stay put but the top leaders in the state may be moved around as strategic chess pieces.
It is understood that former PJ Utara MP Tony Pua will be moved to the Serdang parliamentary seat after its incumbent Teo Nie Ching was announced to stand in Kulai in Johor.
Election strategist and former academician Dr Ong Kian Ming has been tipped to move to PJ Utara, a seat which DAP considers “safe”.
Its state chief and most senior leader in Selangor, Teresa Kok, is speculated to be dropped from her state seat in Kinrara to only focus on her parliamentary seat in Seputeh after complaints that holding on to two seats was more than she could handle.
Exco in the caretaker Selangor government Ronnie Liu is expected to be dropped from the state line-up completely after a massive fallout with the warring factions in the state DAP.
State assemblymen, including Dr Cheah Wing Yin (Damansara Utama), Jenice Lee (Teratai) and Philip Tan (Teluk Datuk) are also speculated to be dropped.
However, sources said last minute horse trading among the potential candidates had intensified, resulting in the party postponing their announcement of the Selangor candidates to tonight.
Selangor PAS election director Jaafar Samsudin said although most of its incumbents in Selangor were expected to be retained, it would field 40% new faces.
Among those retained are Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor), Dr Rani Osman (state seat Meru) and Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (Kota Raja) and Khalid Samad (Shah Alam).
