Kajang: Showdown between Wan Azizah and Mei Fun
Alyaa Azhar, FMT
With nomination day for the Kajang by-election set to take place tomorrow, the battle seems to be geared between two politically savvy women.
PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is the new PKR candidate to replace Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The decision to pull out of the Kajang by-election was made as a result of the Court of Appeal decision on Friday to overturn Anwar’s sodomy acquittal.
The ruling derailed his plans to contest in the Kajang by-election, thus resulting in naming his wife as the new candidate.
MCA meanwhile is pitting its vice president, Chew Mei Fun to contest on behalf of Barisan Nasional (BN).
The two women are definitely forces to be reckoned with.
Wan Azizah, 62, founded the Parti Keadilan Nasional in 1999 after her husband was put behind bars the year before on a sodomy charge. She remains as the president of the party till today.
A doctor by profession, she won the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in 1999 and held the seat until 2008 when she stepped down to allow her husband to return to active politics again.
Chew on the other hand was a two-term MP for Petaling Jaya Utara and was defeated by incumbent MP Tony Pua in the 2008 general election.
The 51-year-old quit her Wanita chief post in 2010 after former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek won the presidency.
As a result, she resigned as senator and Deputy Minister for the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in line with her pledge to quit all party posts if Dr Chua became party president.
Former PKR member Zaid Ibrahim has also pulled out from the race, saying it was no longer necessary for him to contest.
Zaid had initially planned to contest in the by-election because he believed that Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s position was threatened by Anwar, who was seen to be eying the position.
Dangdut singer Herman Tino who had initially shown interest to contest in the by-election has also reportedly pulled out of the race.
The New Gen also pulled out of the race today.
