Taman Connaught’s commercial centre is one of the busiest in the Bandar Tun Razak constituency because of its popular eateries and its easy access to the MRR2. —Photos: LOW BOON TAT/The Star
THE fight is on for Bandar Tun Razak with two Barisan Nasional component parties vying for the seat in the 14th General Election (GE14).
Both Umno and MCA have not held back their desire for the seat and have been vocal about contesting the “hot seat”.
Bandar Tun Razak, formerly under PKR, is now an independent seat after its MP and former Selangor mentri besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim became an Independent when he was sacked by PKR in 2014.
For years, Bandar Tun Razak had been a Barisan stronghold but in 2008, MCA candidate Tan Sri Tan Chai Ho lost the constituency to Khalid.
In the last elections in 2013, Khalid, who took on Barisan’s Tan Kok Eng (MCA) and independents Mohamed Sukeri Abdul Samat and Mokhtar Salahudin, won with a majority of 11,832 votes.
There are currently 101,694 registered voters in Bandar Tun Razak.
With 53.77% Malay voters in the area, Umno is confident of wresting the seat.
Things recently got heated when Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, during a visit to Bandar Tun Razak, said MCA should do more to wrest the seat back from the Opposition.
Prior to that, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the party would not let go of the Bandar Tun Razak seat unless there was a swap with Umno.
Bandar Tun Razak Umno chief Datuk Rizalman Mokhtar will most likely be the candidate if Umno has its way, while MCA shortlisted Bandar Tun Razak MCA chief Datuk Chew Yin Keen as its candidate for the parliamentary seat.
As a politician everyone has aspirations to contest in the general election and will try their best to convince the leadership that they are the best candidate.
“It is up to the Barisan leadership to decide who should contest the seats,” said Chew.
When StarMetro spoke to Rizalman, he said he hoped to contest the seat.
“Based on the number of Malay voters alone there is a higher chance that Umno can wrest the seat.
“But it will depend on whether the component parties can come to an agreement,” he added.
Rizalman has been actively attending to community issues and activities this past year.
Talk is also rife that it could become a three-cornered fight for Bandar Tun Razak with PKR and PAS expected to throw their hats into the ring.
Khalid has reaffirmed his stand to not contest the seat, and is out of the race.
Expected to step up under the PKR banner is Tumpat MP Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar, who is currently the PKR parliamentary coordinator for Bandar Tun Razak.
Kamarudin, was a former PAS member before he quit the party in 2015 and joined PKR. He was also an Umno member before switching to PAS in 1999.
Meanwhile, Dr Rosni Adam is tipped to contest under PAS. She is the Bandar Tun Razak PAS Muslimat Council chief and is a local.
Did you find this article insightful?
