Pakatan’s dilemma in Sungai Besar
PAS’ candidate in Sungai Besar is seen as being very close to Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali, who has previously described him as his ‘brother’.
Radzi Razak, Free Malaysia Today
Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali’s campaign started in Sungai Besar as early as May 12 when a state government function was held at Dewan Seri Bernam there.
He was later seen attending several events around the area, accompanied by party leaders and Sekinchan DAP state assemblyman Ng Suee Lim.
They were photographed wearing sarong and simple clothing while visiting the Sungai Besar morning market on May 14.
When a media company enquired about lodging in the Sekinchan area, it was learnt that the state government had reserved a whole resort there, reportedly to station the state media and election machinery.
This was akin to the 2010 Hulu Selangor by-election during former Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s time.
Azmin, the charismatic PKR deputy president had insisted that he was negotiating with PAS to make sure Pakatan Harapan would challenge Umno-BN one-on-one for the seat which BN won by only 399 votes in the last general election.
A source close to the party revealed that a faction, aligned with Azmin, wanted PKR to contest in the area, leaving PAS to contest alone in Kuala Kangsar.
However, after an understandable outburst from its ally Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and PKR President Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the PAS splinter party is now likely to be the contender for Pakatan there.
Word from the ground has suggested that Kuala Selangor native and Amanah Strategic Director Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad is likely to be the candidate.
An announcement on this will be made on June 1 by the Pakatan Harapan leadership.
King’s College-educated Dzulkefly is one of the most intellectual and humble politicians in the country. However, he will have a tough time facing BN’s candidate in Sungai Besar.
Both Umno and PAS have named proven assemblymen to contest this parliamentary seat.
Sungai Panjang assemblyman Budiman Mohd Zohdi is BN’s choice while PAS has asked its Meru assemblyman Abd Rani Osman to contest against him.
The decision to field Rani is seen to have “jammed” the Pakatan campaign machinery as the former state PAS commissioner is a good friend of Azmin and Ng, even after the Islamic party left the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat last year.
Rani was one of the prominent PAS members who was not seen aligned to the Ulama faction of the party which successfully won the party elections by a landslide in 2015, leading to the formation of the breakaway Amanah.
Rani has made appearances at both PKR and DAP events organised by Azmin.
Azmin even fed Rani with a piece of his birthday cake at an event in 2014, telling everyone that the Meru assemblyman was like his brother.
After Rani was announced on Friday, Azmin seemed to have “disappeared” from Sungai Besar, and events were held in other parts of Selangor.
