GE15: Aminuddin likely to replace Anwar in PD parliamentary seat

SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan PKR chief Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun is likely to replace incumbent Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contest the Port Dickson parliamentary seat.This is despite Aminuddin stating on Wednesday (Oct 19) that his name was not one of those recommended by the Port Dickson PKR division, which he headed.

Aminuddin is also PKR vice president.

"Anwar is likely to announce this during an event in Port Dickson tomorrow," said a source.

He said this was also one of the reasons why Aminuddin, who is also Mentri Besar, had moved his party membership from Tampin to Port Dickson earlier this year.

Aminuddin, who is serving his third term as Sikamat assemblyman, said he had also stopped his division from nominating him.

In a 2018 by-election, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim won the seat with a whopping 23,560-vote majority in a multi-cornered fight, surpassing the 17,710-vote majority obtained by the previous MP Datuk Danyal Balagopal in GE14.

PKR had also won the seat in the 2008 and 2013 polls.

Apart from Port Dickson, PKR will contest two other parliamentary seats in Negri Sembilan.

The party will likely field former Malaysia Youth Council (MBM) president Jufitri Joha in Rembau and Aminuddin's press secretary Nor Azman Mohamad in Kuala Pilah.

Nor Azman, who has a Syariah degree from Al-Azhar University, is from Johol, a state constituency under Kuala Pilah.

Separately, the MIC is likely to contest the Port Dickson parliamentary seat, which had traditionally been reserved for the Barisan Nasional ally, said state party chief Datuk L. Manickam.

"As of today, the seat remains with the MIC. What happens after this is beyond us as the Barisan leadership will have the final say on this," said the second-term Jeram Padang assemblyman.

He said preparations to face the polls started long ago as Barisan intends to wrest the seat from Pakatan Harapan.

Manickam said the state MIC did not suggest any candidate for the seat as this would be decided by the party leadership.

Talk is rife that the potential candidates for the seat are Manickam himself, MIC information chief R. Thinalan and former division chief Datuk R. Balakrishnan.

There is also talk that MIC treasurer-general Tan Sri M. Ramasamy is a possible candidate.