GE15: PAS' Nik Abduh's brother Nik Omar to contest under Pakatan banner

PETALING JAYA: PAS supreme council member Nik Abduh Nik Aziz’s brother Nik Omar will contest under the Pakatan Harapan banner in the 15th General Election (GE15).

Nik Omar will be contesting a seat in Perak, said Pakatan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during a press conference.

Anwar, the PKR president, also announced several candidates who would be contesting under his party's banner.

Anwar said more details about the candidates will be revealed on Friday (Oct 28) night.

Asked if he was with PKR or Amanah, Nik Omar merely said: "I'm with Pakatan."

Pakatan comprises four parties: DAP, PKR, Amanah and Upko.

Nik Omar is also the eldest son of PAS' late spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

He contested unsuccessfully in the 2018 general election as the Pakatan candidate for Kelantan's Chempaka state seat, which his father held from 1995 until he passed away in 2015.

The 57-year-old Nik Omar was sacked by PAS later that year for contesting under the Pakatan banner.

Meanwhile, Anwar also revealed six other candidates who are former civil servants, activists, corporate figures and academicians.

Among them is spina bifida patient rights advocate Dr Norashah Mydin Abdul Aziz, a senior lecturer at the Parasitology Department of Universiti Malaya’s (UM) Faculty of Medicine.

Noraishah said she will fight for the rights of disabled people.

“Today is the day where people with disabilities in Malaysia get a fair chance. I will not back down,” said Noraishah, who will be contesting a seat in a Federal Territory.

Other candidates include former senior civil servant Datuk Zainal Azman Abdul Seman, who will be contesting in Perak; former Ikram Malaysia deputy president Datuk Hassan Basri Awang Mat Dahan, to be fielded in Pahang; and former Lembaga Zakat Selangor CEO Saipolyazan Yusop, who will stand in Selangor.

Former Malaysian Youth Council president Jufitri Joha will vie for a seat in Negri Sembilan, while 28-year-old MU PhD student Fathin Amelina Fazlie will be contesting in Perlis.

Asked about the specific seats where they will contest, Anwar said it would be announced on Friday.

An unknown individual heckled the gathering halfway through the press conference, causing the situation to become heated for a moment.

The individual appeared to disagree with PKR's choice of candidates.

“This was (tried) before. These former government servants should be doing research, not politics," said the unidentified person.

PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli then interjected and said it was crucial for the party to field new faces.

“If any parties choose to rely on hierarchy (and) exclusively full-time politicians ... I think we cannot combat the cynicism (out there).

“We also have to take into consideration that some issues in society can no longer be taken as token discourse. For example, the issues of disability in the country.

“I cannot remember any major political party that has actually fielded a disabled person,” said Rafizi.

The heckler then left.

Anwar said PKR had always been a movement of the people and its leaders should not be the only ones to determine its direction.

“You must allow space... for (others) to participate.

“What matters is the future of this nation. We want to change the political landscape of this country,” he added.

Nomination Day is on Nov 5, with polling on Nov 19.