Crisis brewing in PKR over GE14 candidate list

(The Star) – A crisis is brewing in PKR over the election candidates for Selangor with names proposed by party deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali purportedly chopped off the list.

It is learnt that up to eight names put forward by the Selangor Mentri Besar have been dropped or rejected by president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

A delegation led by PKR Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin arrived at Dr Wan Azizah’s residence in Segambut, which PKR circles refer to as “Istana Segambut,” at 8am Sunday (April 22) to discuss the matter.

It is understood that Zuraidah is appealing to Dr Wan Azizah to rethink the candidate list. 

The incumbents dropped are said to include MPs Tian Chua (Batu) and Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong (Wangsa Maju) while the assemblymen are Yaakob Sapari (Kota Anggerik), Hanizah Mohd Talha (Taman Medan) and Gan Pei Nie (Rawang).

Three other names put up by Azmin were reportedly rejected.

They include his press aide Hilman Idham, who was proposed for the Gombak Setia state seat, and Azmin’s trusted aide Khaled Jaafar, who was proposed for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat.

Another Azmin ally Mohd Razlan Jalaluddin, the coordinator for Kota Damansara, was also rejected as a candidate.

The delegation led by Zuraidah included Gan, Hanizah and PJ Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian, personalities whom Dr Wan Azizah has a good relationship with.

It is learnt that Dr Wan Azizah has agreed to meet with Azmin to discuss the matter further.

The tug-of-war over candidates is a continuation of the tussle between two camps in PKR, one led by Azmin and the other by vice-president Rafizi Ramli, who is aligned to Dr Wan Azizah.

Pakatan Harapan is scheduled to announce their candidates at a gathering in Sungai Besar on Monday night (April 23).