MELAKA: Pakatan Harapan is eyeing the Paya Rumput seat, which Barisan Nasional won by just 629 votes in the 2021 state election, with PKR’s Datuk Azman Abidin tipped to run in the upcoming Melaka polls.
A PKR source said Azman, the Prime Minister’s political secretary and Federal Territories PKR chairman, is close to being selected for the mixed constituency.
“Paya Rumput is a mixed seat and PKR is confident of springing a surprise by fielding an influential person in the constituency.
“We have started reaching out to voters in Paya Rumput,” the source said yesterday.
According to the source, Azman was initially considered for Kuala Sungai Baru before party leaders turned their attention to Paya Rumput, where they believe PKR has a chance of wresting the seat from Barisan.
The source described Azman as an experienced and approachable politician who had previously organised grassroots programmes in the state.
His candidacy has yet to be formally announced.
The interest in Paya Rumput comes amid speculation that its incumbent assemblyman, senior Melaka executive councillor Datuk Rais Yasin, could be moved to Sungai Udang as a candidate.
Sungai Udang is currently held by Perikatan Nasional’s Dr Mohd Aleef Yusof, who won by a slim 530 votes in the 2021 Melaka polls.
Asked earlier this month about the possibility of contesting there, Rais, who is also the Tangga Batu Umno division chief, said he would abide by the party leadership’s decision.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh added to the speculation at an event in Sungai Udang on Sept 7, when he spoke of the constituency’s military community and singled out Rais as a potential representative.
Barisan has yet to name its candidate for the seat.
The Election Commission’s official results show how closely fought the Paya Rumput contest was in 2021.
Rais won the seat with a 629-vote majority, defeating four challengers, including Pakatan’s Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, a former senior political secretary to the Prime Minister.
Paya Rumput had 26,455 registered voters at the time, with a turnout of 66.16%.
Whether Pakatan and Barisan face each other in Paya Rumput will also depend on the outcome of wider negotiations.
Ab Rauf has said Barisan intends to defend all 21 seats it won in 2021, including Paya Rumput, even as it considers electoral cooperation with other parties.
