More fresh faces as PKR, DAP begin to unveil Malaysia GE15 candidates

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties, including Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the Democratic Action Party (DAP), have begun to unveil candidates for the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15).

Several candidates are professionals who are making their political debut in the federal polls. 

In a press conference on Wednesday (Oct 26), PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy Rafizi Ramli unveiled seven candidates who will be fielded by the party. 

They included religious educator Nik Omar, son of the late Parti Islam Se-Malaysia’s (PAS) spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, as well as spinal medical expert Noraishah Mydin Haji Abdul Aziz who is with Universiti Malaya. 

Mr Nik Omar will be fielded in Perak while Mdm Noraishah, who was born with spina bifida, will be fielded in a federal territory seat. PKR did not specify which federal seat the latter would be fielded in.

Mr Nik Omar previously contested in GE14 under Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), another PH component party. He was fielded in the state seat of Chempaka in Kelantan but lost to a candidate from PAS after garnering just around 12 per cent of the vote.

Another PKR candidate who will be contesting in Perak is former state secretary Zainal Azman Abu Seman, said Mr Anwar. 

Meanwhile Universiti Malaya lecturer Professor Hasan Basri Awang Mat Dahan will be fielded in Pahang, youth activist Jufitri Joha will contest in Negeri Sembilan and executive Saipolyazan M Yusop will be fielded in Selangor, he added. 

PhD candidate Fathin Amelia Fazlie, 28, will be fielded in the northern state of Perlis, Mr Anwar said.

When explaining how PKR selected the candidates, Mr Rafizi said that the party wanted to address the wishes of the electorate to see fresh faces as well as professionals, rather than “full-time politicians”. 

“Over the last two years, it was very obvious that the issue that will determine the outcome of this election is the public's cynicism towards politicians and political parties. That's why increasingly you see more voters feel that they will no longer be relying exclusively on political parties but will also put more weightage on the ability and the freshness of the candidates,” said Mr Rafizi.

Mr Anwar, who is also PH chairman and the prime minister candidate for the coalition, added that PKR’s candidate selection process was determined by the party’s grassroots and not just PKR leadership.

“We are here to present the best minds to effect change in this country,” said Mr Anwar. 

Last week, he announced that he will be vacating his Port Dickson federal seat to contest in the parliamentary constituency of Tambun, Perak for the upcoming polls.

Mr Anwar said that the move was to strengthen PH’s base in Perak, a state which is expected to be a battleground in the upcoming polls.

DAP TO FIELD MALAY WOMAN CANDIDATE IN MULTI-ETHNIC BENTONG SEAT 

Earlier on Wednesday, DAP unveiled four parliamentary candidates who will stand in the state of Pahang.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said that Young Syefura Othman, 33, will be contesting in Bentong. He described the party’s pick as a bold and strategic move.

"To ensure DAP’s future (which) is multiracial and to ensure that DAP’s political future expands, the central leadership decided to pick a Malay woman to contest," he said during a press conference at the party's headquarters.

"She will be the first female Malay MP from DAP if she is elected as Bentong MP," he said. 

Mrs Syefura was previously the assemblywoman for the Ketari seat in the Pahang assembly. Ketari is located in the Bentong constituency for the federal polls.

The Bentong seat comprises around 50 per cent Malays, 38.9 per cent Chinese, 9.5 per cent Indians and 1.8 per cent classified as others.

Mr Loke said that the party did not make the decision based only on observations but conducted scientific surveys.

"We make decisions based on winnability. From our surveys, she is our most winnable candidate," he said.

Incumbent Bentong MP Wong Tack was offered to stand in Cameron Highlands but refused the offer, said Mr Loke.

He also announced that Chiong Yoke Kong will stand in the Cameron Highlands seat, Chow Yu Hui will stand in Raub, while Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji will stand in Lipis. Tengku Zulpuri is the incumbent Raub MP.

Mr Chiong is the incumbent Tanah Ratah assemblyperson while Mr Chow is incumbent Tras assemblyperson. 

This is the first time Mrs Syefura, Mr Chiong and Mr Chow are contesting at the federal level.

Mr Loke noted that the Bentong and Raub seats were "hot" seats that DAP had won marginally during the last election.