PETALING JAYA: Even as we approach nomination day on Nov 5, some political bigwigs have made surprising “no-contest” announcements.
Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said he would not be contesting in the 15th General Election, adding that he had already served there for six terms.
“I am keeping my promise, even though I would win hands down if I stand,” the 68-year-old told a news portal yesterday, adding that it was also time for him to step aside “to set a good example”.
“It is time for the younger generation to take over. I want to set a good example, as there are 97-year-olds who are not setting a good example,” he said, taking a dig at incumbent Langkawi MP and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who declared he would be defending his seat.
Nazri has served as Padang Rengas MP since March 2004.
He was also the Chenderoh MP from 1995 to 2004 before the constituency was split into two parliamentary seats – Lenggong and Padang Rengas.
He denied his withdrawal announcement was to pre-empt any impending failure to get the endorsement of Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
However, Nazri, who has also served in Cabinet as tourism and culture minister, de facto law minister, entrepreneur development minister, deputy finance minister I, and others, said he would continue to be the Padang Rengas Umno division chief.
On Thursday, Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto said she would not be defending her seat after serving there for two terms since 2013.
Describing it as the hardest decision she has ever had to make, Kasthuri told a press conference that she was stepping aside to make way for future leaders.
She added that the party leadership also tried to persuade her to reconsider, but they eventually gave her their blessings.
Kasthuri also denied being dropped as a candidate, adding that the decision was purely her own.
In March, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang announced his retirement from politics at the 17th DAP National Congress and said he would not contest in GE15.
The two-term Iskandar Puteri MP also reiterated this recently, following claims by Johor Umno chief Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad that he was going to make a U-turn.
Hasni claimed he had received information that a recent DAP meeting had decided that Lim would stand in Bakri.
“For Hasni’s information, I have retired from competitive politics, and I am not aware of any recent DAP meeting allegedly to discuss my candidacy for the Bakri parliamentary seat in GE15,” Lim said in a statement on Sept 21.
Kuala Langat MP Dr Xavier Jayakumar was also reported to be taking a break from politics and would skip GE15.
A news portal reported that his decision came after he had discussed the matter with his family and friends, though the actual reason is still unclear.
The former PKR vice-president, who recently joined Parti Bangsa Malaysia, was reportedly set to convey his decision to PBM president Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin before making an official announcement.
His membership in PBM was announced by Zuraida on Oct 1.
Dr Xavier won the Kuala Langat parliamentary seat on a PKR ticket in 2018, beating rivals from Umno and PAS by a 17,112-vote majority.
His first stint as an elected representative was as the Seri Andalas state assemblyman from 2008 to 2018. Speculation continues to swirl on whether Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is currently serving a prison sentence, will be standing as a candidate.
At a press conference in front of the Kuala Lumpur High Court lobby on Oct 12, his lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah kept mum on the possibility of his client campaigning during GE15.
Shafee implied that he would be looking to argue for Najib’s participation as a candidate in GE15 despite the Pekan MP’s ongoing prison sentence.
“I do not want to touch on the topic now as there are a number of interesting arguments and developments that I do not want to make public yet.
“When I execute it, then you will know about it,” he had said.
Najib is currently serving a 12-year sentence at Kajang Prison after the Federal Court upheld the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision to convict him in his RM42mil SRC International Sdn Bhd case on Aug 23.
