PETALING JAYA: Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and his predecessor and mentor Datuk Seri Azmin Ali are tipped to face each other for the top post in the Selangor state election.
Amirudin is now heading the Pakatan Harapan state administration, while Azmin is in the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition.
According to sources, another front runner for Perikatan is Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, who was a Selangor exco member from 2012 to 2018.
Pakatan and its new-found ally Barisan Nasional are expected to battle Perikatan for control of Selangor.
A coalition has to capture at least 29 of 56 state assembly seats in order to form the state government.
Political scientist Dr Mazlan Ali said the choice of Mentri Besar candidate is critical for political parties contesting in urbanised states such as Selangor and Johor.
“Voters in these areas are very discerning and they want to see what a party can offer and the background or track record of a potential Mentri Besar,” said Mazlan of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
A formal decision on Pakatan’s Mentri Besar candidate has not been announced but officials told The Star that Amirudin is seen as the best choice.
“We don’t see a stronger candidate than Amirudin based on his track record and the policies his administration introduced,” said a Pakatan official who requested anonymity.
Among the programmes Amirudin introduced are RiDE (Roda Darul Ehsan) targeted towards ehailing workers in Selangor and a free insurance scheme called Skim Insurans Am Selangor (INSAN).
RiDE gives RM500 in cash and RM50 in an Employees Provident Fund (EPF) account for certified ehailing workers, while INSAN offered up to RM10,000 in disability benefits.
Amirudin himself has expressed interest in serving as Mentri Besar for another term.
“Selangor is PKR’s crown jewel and it has always been the tradition in Pakatan that the Mentri Besar’s post goes to them ever since we took over Selangor in the 2008 general election,” said the source.
“If the Mentri Besar does not come from PKR, there is a big possibility that PKR members will not come out and vote.”
Meanwhile, it is learnt that Perikatan parties are still debating over whether to name Azmin, who is Selangor Perikatan chief or Ahmad Yunus, who is the Sijangkang assemblyman.
Azmin, who is the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman, has repeatedly stated that he wants to take a temporary break from politics as he has been a state legislator for seven terms.
“I have received many requests from state constituencies to represent them but I leave this to the party leadership,” Azmin was quoted as saying on Sunday.
“But I think we should let the younger generation take over as we have many candidates who are qualified and committed.”
Ahmad Yunus was then proposed as an alternative to Azmin but Perikatan has yet to make a final decision, a source said.
