Big guns: Azmin (left) and Amirudin will face off in Gombak.
PETALING JAYA: There was much speculation after several big names were dropped from PKR’s candidate list, with analysts saying this could be due to factions within the party.
However, Tian Chua has denied that incumbent MPs like R. Sivarasa and Maria Chin Abdullah were dropped because they were pro-Azmin.
But Universiti Sains Malaysia’s political science expert Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said it was now time for PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to focus on his loyalists rather than his former deputy Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
“This is to make sure PKR moves beyond the March 2020 saga,” he said, adding, the fight between Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari and former mentri besar Azmin (for the Gombak seat) needs to be closely watched.
“Both have their loyalists, and I think voter turnout will determine the outcome, which will be determined by the party they represent and their personalities.
“In terms of how this will impact the elections, it depends on how Azmin’s loyalists see the elections – focus on personality or the party,” he said.
Political think tank Ilham Center’s executive director Hisomuddin Bakar said a few factors could be why incumbents such as Maria and Sivarasa were dropped.
“Maria is known as a civil society activist as she was from Bersih. She was chosen as a PKR candidate and won. But, throughout her tenure as a lawmaker, she seemed unable to assimilate into PKR’s culture. This is why she was dropped,” he said.
He said Sivarasa, on the other hand, “did not shine” after the departure of a few former PKR MPs, including Azmin.
“Sivarasa did get the brunt of some party members who saw him as being aligned to the Azmin camp,” he said.
Dr Zaireeni Azmi, University Sains Malaysia senior lecturer for Research on Women and Gender, said PKR could have its factions between those who supported Azmin and those who didn’t.
As such, she said it was important for Anwar to take precautionary measures in naming the party’s candidates to ensure another “Sheraton move” would not occur among the elected representatives.
“Anwar is looking at the future for the next best prospective leaders should Pakatan Harapan form a government again,” she said.
She said that not fielding certain candidates might cause a rift among party members, creating a backlash and people leaving the party.
Tian Chua said he had no issue with Anwar’s remarks that older candidates must give way to younger candidates, but added Azmin’s allies had left the party with him.
“I am not pro-Azmin. If I were, I would have gone with him already. So, the rest of them are not pro-Azmin. Maria is not pro-Azmin, she is a Bersih person. Lee has nothing to do with being pro- Azmin,” he said.
Tian Chua stated that whether it was possible to justify why they were dropped was a separate issue.
“It has nothing to do with Azmin. I have always been closer to Anwar. I’ve been close to Anwar’s family, such as Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, so I don’t have any problems with them,” he said.
Tian Chua had previously expressed interest in running for the Batu seat, for which he was a former MP. However, Batu incumbent P. Prabakaran was selected to defend the seat in GE15.
Sivarasa said he would not comment on his non-candidacy by PKR.
PKR announced that Ramanan Ramakrishnan would be fielded for the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat, which Sivarasa won in the last three elections.
PKR announced its candidates for 72 seats in Peninsular Malaysia on Friday.
