Pkr Division Chief Challengers Eye Replacing Busy Minister Mps

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Campaigning is ongoing for the PKR division-level polls, which will be held this weekend, and several challengers are eyeing to replace incumbent office-holders who were said to be “too busy” with other duties.
Director-cum-actor Afdlin Shauki, who is challenging Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad for the Setiawangsa PKR division chief post, said his main aim was to offer grassroots members an alternative candidate.
“I am not out to fight with anyone. My aim is to offer PKR members in Setiawangsa an alternative to better serve their needs.
“As a federal minister, most likely Nik Nazmi has certain restrictions. He has a larger responsibility, so why not we (as PKR members) share the workload to serve the party,” Afdlin (above) told Malaysiakini.
Each division chief candidate will typically contest as a team comprising one deputy, one vice-chief, over a dozen committee members, as well as separate teams for the women and youth wings.
Afdlin, who is on his second attempt to unseat Nik Nazmi, said his own team of candidates had engaged with party members who claimed to have “never met” the Setiawangsa MP.
“We have been meeting members among the elderly, disabled, and others. They told us they have never met YB (Nik Nazmi),” said Afdlin, who in the last 2022 party polls lodged a police report on alleged discrepancies after the results favoured Nik Nazmi.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad“The minister, who is also an MP, has to take care of the whole parliamentary seat.
“So let there be our team, who can dedicate ourselves to serve the members (instead),” he said.
Afdlin added that Setiawangsa PKR has about 6,000 members, but only 1,600 are “verified” and eligible to elect their leaders this weekend.
‘Failure to defend PKR’s interest’
Separately, Kota Anggerik assemblyperson Najwan Halimi, who is challenging incumbent Shah Alam PKR chief Rodziah Ismail, claimed that the Ampang MP has been “disconnected” from grassroots members since the last general election in 2022.
“Prior to the 2023 Selangor state election, Shah Alam PKR had two state seats - Kota Anggerik and Batu Tiga - but now we are left with Kota Anggerik.
“The Batu Tiga seat was ‘swapped’ with the Hulu Kelang seat, and grassroots members (from Shah Alam PKR) viewed this as a failure of the branch chief (Rodziah) to defend the party’s interest,” said Najwan, who is the incumbent Shah Alam PKR deputy chief.
Kota Anggerik assemblyperson Najwan HalimiIn the 2023 Selangor polls, PKR requested to contest in Hulu Kelang, previously held by Saari Sungib from Amanah. In exchange, Rodziah - as the then Batu Tiga assemblyperson - made way for Amanah’s Danial Al-Rashid.
PKR’s candidate in Hulu Kelang, Juwairiya Zulkifli, failed to defend the seat for Pakatan Harapan against former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who contested on a Perikatan Nasional ticket.
Commenting further, Najwan, also a former PKR Youth leader, said his bid to replace Rodziah is backed by, among others, Kota Damansara assemblyperson Izuan Ahmad Kasim, who is in the running for the Shah Alam PKR Youth chief post.
‘Just ordinary members’
Meanwhile, Rodziah’s special officer, Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajudin, is in a three-cornered contest for the Ampang PKR chief post.
He will be up against two other assemblypersons - incumbent chief Syed Ahmad Abdul Rahman Alhadad, better known as rapper Altimet who is also Lembah Jaya assemblyperson, and another challenger, Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyperson Kamri Kamaruddin.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Azrul said his team is also highlighting their roles as ordinary members who can best represent close to 4,600 members who have been verified as eligible to vote, out of an initial list of some 18,000 names.
Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail“My team is highlighting the voice of the grassroots. Every single one of us, we do not hold any other (elected) positions.
“We are all just ordinary members, and we’re the ones closest to the members,” he added.
While his involvement with PKR started in the party’s early days during the reformasi era in the late 1990s, Azrul said his previous role as an economist in the corporate sector prevented him from contesting for any positions.
“But since August 2021, I was appointed as Rodziah’s special officer in Ampang, and since then I have been working on the ground relentlessly,” he added.
PKR polls
The PKR election committee, chaired by Sekijang MP Dr Zaliha Mustafa, was initially scheduled to announce the final list of candidates on March 28, after the objection and appeal process was completed.
However, on March 29, PKR announced that the candidates’ review process was ongoing and set March 31 for the candidate announcement, after which campaigning can commence until 11.59pm on April 10.
Malaysiakini understands that no official announcement has been made since March 31, but individual candidates were given access to a portal where they can confirm their candidacy and their branch members.
The PKR election for division-level positions, including the women and youth wings, will be held from April 11 to 20.
This will be followed by the election for the central leadership council, and women and youth wings at the central level on May 24. - FMT

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