KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 ― Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) is set to represent Pakatan Harapan in the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar polls by fielding two senior leaders, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Malay Mail Online understands that the decision was reached after PAS terminated seat negotiations with PKR, but not all in PKR agree with fielding Amanah candidates, especially for the Sungai Besar seat.
Pakatan Harapan sources said that Amanah president Mohamad Sabu will likely be announced as the pact's Sungai Besar candidate, while former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is believed to be runner in Kuala Kangsar.
“In a way, we have split opinion on what we should do; some of us feel we should just leave PAS alone and not create more division within the opposition… it’s either no candidate or an Amanah candidate, but right now it looks set to be the latter,” a Pakatan Harapan source told Malay Mail Online.
The source said the two Amanah leaders were obvious choices ― Mohamad due to his seniority in politics and the fact he was once PAS deputy president, and Nizar because of his short stint as Perak mentri besar.A PKR leader told Malay Mail Online that party deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali was still attempting last-minute negotiations for their party to contest Sungai Besar, but added that his efforts will unlikely yield any success.
“100 per cent Amanah will put candidates in these two seats… MB Azmin is still trying to get Sungai Besar but chances are very slim,” the PKR leader said.
Amanah communications director Khalid Samad confirmed that his party will announce its candidates for Sungai Besar tonight and Kuala Kangsar tomorrow.
His party has pressed its case to contest for both seats, saying it was the natural choice to challenge the traditional PAS spots.
“The names of the Amanah candidates will be announced then… if PAS is contesting these seats, there is no way PKR will contest against PAS because it might affect their working relationship in the Selangor government.
“The only party that can go down against PAS in these two seats is Amanah,' the Shah Alam MP told Malay Mail Online.
Nizar echoed Khalid's remarks, but was coy on whether he would be contesting the Kuala Kangsar seat.“I wouldn't know, you will have to wait for the official announcement,” he told Malay Mail Online.
PAS has selected Meru assemblyman Dr Abdul Rani Osman to contest the Sungai Besar parliamentary by-election and the Perak PAS women's wing chief Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad for the Kuala Kangsar seat.
Barisan Nasional will field Sungai Panjang assemblyman Budiman Mohd Zohdi in Sungai Besar and Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid for the Kuala Kangsar race.
Nomination is set for June 5 while polling will be on June 18. The by-elections were triggered by the death of both incumbents in a helicopter crash in Sarawak last month MALAY MAIL ONLINE
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