Anwar (in light blue shirt) lending support to Pakatan and Barisan candidates for Hulu Kelang, Sungai Tua and Gombak Setia at Dewan SMK Sungai Pusu in Gombak, Selangor. — Photos: PHOTO TEAM/The Star
The battle for control of Selangor will see 147 people vying to be elected as representatives for the 56 state constituencies, including 10 as Independents.
Pakatan Harapan is fielding 44 candidates in Selangor while its electoral ally Barisan Nasional has 12, Perikatan Nasional (56), Muda (14), Parti Socialis Malaysia or PSM (4), Parti Rakyat Malaysia or PRM (6) and Parti Utama Rakyat (1). Ten are Independents.
Of the seats, 26 will see straight fights such as Bukit Lanjan, Kampung Tunku, Kinrara, Teratai, Bandar Baru Klang, Balakong, Sekinchan and Lembah Jaya.
Meanwhile, 25 seats including Bandar Utama, Subang Jaya, Kajang, Kota Kemuning, Bukit Gasing, Kota Anggerik, Seri Serdang, Sungai Pelek and Bukit Antarabangsa will see a three-way tussle.
(From left) Candidates Sivarajan and Radzlan, and Izuan (right), showing their candidate numbers while Kota Damansara returning officer Norazlina Yusof looks on.
Five constituencies will have four-cornered fights, namely Kuala Kubu Baharu, Pandan Indah, Seri Setia, Sentosa and Dengkil.
For Kuala Kubu Baharu, the four-cornered fight is between Perikatan’s Henry Teoh Kien Hong, PRM’s Chng Boon Lai, Pakatan’s Lee Kee Hiong and Muda’s Dr Siva Prakash Ramasamy.
For Pandan Indah, the four-cornered fight is between Pakatan incumbent Izham Hashim, Muda’s Lisa Redzuan, Independent Sivaneswaran Ramasundram and Perikatan’s Fazil Mohamad Dali, who is popularly known as “Ayahanda Cik Ton”.
But all eyes will be on the three state seats of Hulu Kelang, Sungai Tua and Gombak Setia which are set to see the toughest fights.
This was very apparent by the crowds during nomination day at Dewan Mutiara Bestari in SMK Sungai Pusu, Gombak as several high-profile personalities submitted their candidacy papers for the seats under Gombak parliamentary constituency.
Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, who lost the Gombak seat in the 15th General Election (GE15), is eager to stage a comeback in Hulu Kelang, which was his first foray into electoral politics in 1999.
Contesting the Pandan Indah state seat are (from left) Izham, Sivaneswaran, Fazil and Lisa.
Speculation is rife that the Selangor Perikatan Nasional chairman would become mentri besar again should the coalition emerge victorious in the polls.
Azmin will be squaring off against Juwairiya Zulkifli, caretaker Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari’s political secretary.
In Sungai Tua, Perikatan’s Hanif Jamaluddin faces the daunting task of unseating Amirudin.
Amirudin, who is also Selangor Pakatan Harapan chairman, has held the seat for three consecutive terms since GE12.
In Gombak Setia, Perikatan’s Hilman Idham and Barisan’s Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin are due for a rematch.
The duo faced off in GE14, where Hilman, then with PKR, came out tops.
(From left) Suhaimi, Lwi and Nageswaran contesting the Sungai Pelek state seat.
However, Hilman has since left the party to join Bersatu, which is part of Perikatan. Barisan, meanwhile, is part of the unity government with Pakatan Harapan.
Among the political top guns who turned up to show support for their respective candidates at the Gombak nomination centre were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, former premier and Perikatan chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Commu-nications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil, Titiwangsa MP Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani and Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin.
Former minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun is locked in a three-cornered fight in Batu Tiga, against lawyer Saiyidah Izzati Nur Razak Maideen, better known as Cheda Razak, from Muda, and adjunct Assoc Prof Danial Al-Rashid of Amanah representing Pakatan.
Rina, who is also Bersatu’s Srikandi chief, was defeated in the Sepang parliamentary seat in GE15.
On the eve of nomination day, PKR sprang a surprise by announcing that it would be changing its candidate for Kota Damansara.
Candidates for Batu Tiga (from left) Rina, Danial and Saiyidah at Tanjung MBSA Section 19 in Shah Alam.
Selangor Angkatan Muda Keadilan chief Izuan Kasim replaced Aidi Amin Yazid as candidate at the eleventh hour, despite the latter’s candidacy being announced by the PKR president a week prior.
Izuan will be in a three-cornered fight with Perikatan’s Radzlan Jalaludin and PSM’s Sivarajan Arumugam.
A few surprise candidates turned up to file their nomination papers as Independents, hoping they would be given a chance to fight for issues facing everyday people.
Incumbent assemblyman Sallehudin Amiruddin walked into the lobby of Kuang’s nomination centre just before closing time.
He will run as an Independent under the name “YB Salleh Amiruddin” in the ballot paper.
He hopes the public will support his candidacy.
Sallehudin ran under the PKR ticket in GE14 and won with a majority of 2,860. He later went to Bersatu, but has since resigned from the party.
(From left) Lau Wei Jian (PN-Bersatu), Wong Jung Lik (Ind), Wong Siew Ki (PH-DAP) after being declared candidates for Seri Kembangan at Dewan Serbaguna MBSJ in Puchong Indah.
Sallehudin is contesting against first-time candidates, lawyer Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican from Barisan and businessman Mohd Rafiq Mohd Abdullah from Perikatan.
Two Independent candidates who contested and lost in GE15 will be trying their luck again during the state elections.
Businessman Datuk Seri Nageswaran Ravi and online entrepreneur consultant Nurhaslinda Basri are contesting the Sungai Pelek and Paya Jaras state seats, respectively.
During GE15, Nageswaran vied for the Sepang parliamentary seat under Parti Rakyat Malaysia, while Nurhaslinda stood as an Independent in Sungai Buloh.
“People often come to me to ask for help on housing and government-related matters,” said Nageswaran.
“I want to continue offering my help and it will be easier if I was elected assemblyman.”
Nageswaran will be up against Perikatan’s Datuk Suhaimi Mohd Ghazali and Pakatan’s Lwi Kian Keong.
Nurhaslinda, better known as Sifu Linda, will be facing Paya Jaras incumbent Khairuddin Othman from Pakatan and Perikatan’s Prof Datuk Dr Halim Tamuri.
Nurhaslinda felt that the people’s welfare was not being taken care of under the present government, which fuelled her desire to contest in Paya Jaras.
“The people don’t feel there is much improvement in terms of welfare,” she said.
