GE15: Zainal Azman is Pakatan's choice for Perak MB

PETALING JAYA: Former Public Service Department deputy director-general Datuk Zainal Azman Abu Seman has been named as Perak mentri besar candidate should Pakatan Harapan win the coming general election on Nov 19.

PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said Zainal Azman, who also formerly served as Perak state secretary, was the most qualified candidate.

“It is a big gamble for Pakatan to name Zainal Azman as its mentri besar candidate, but we maintain that it is the right decision,” he said when met after a press conference at the PKR headquarters here on Thursday (Nov 3).

Zainal Azman is also expected to contest the Kuala Sepetang state seat.

Rafizi added that Pakatan would field its major names not just at the parliamentary level, but also at the state level, in an effort to win over more Malay voters.

“There has been a lack of Malay leaders in Perak who can balance elevating Malay support for Pakatan and PKR while being a steady hand managing the state,” Rafizi said while discussing Zainal's candidacy.

Kuala Sepetang is presently held by Barisan Nasional, which won the seat in the 2018 election with a narrow majority of 329 votes.

Prior to that, the constituency had been held by PKR after the 2008 and 2013 general elections.

Pakatan had formed the silver state's government in 2018, with Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu becoming Perak mentri besar when his party was still in the coalition.

Faizal was then expelled by a confidence vote in the state assembly in November 2020. He resigned after being beaten by 48 votes to 10, with one abstention.

Umno's Saarani Mohamad succeeded him as mentri besar.