Perak PKR wants Anwar to stay in Tambun for GE16

IPOH: Perak PKR wants Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to remain in Tambun for the next general election to strengthen the party’s election campaign in the state.

Its chairman, Mohamad Hairul Amir Sabri said the presence of the prime minister and PKR president was crucial in strengthening the party’s position in Perak.

“We in Perak certainly need the president to remain here to help us win more parliamentary and state seats in the next election,” he told reporters after the opening of the new Perak PKR headquarters in Meru here yesterday.

Also present was Perak PKR deputy chairman Tan Kar Hing.

He was responding to speculation over where Anwar would contest in the next general election, with some suggesting the Tambun member of parliament could be fielded in Penang or Putrajaya.

Hairul said Anwar’s continued presence in Perak would be key to strengthening the party machinery and improving Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) performance in the state, particularly in securing more parliamentary and state seats.

“Actually, it is still too early for us to know.

“Based on our experience with Datuk Seri (Anwar), he usually makes decisions only two or three months before the election.

“For him, it is not about whether a seat is safe or not. For example, when he came to Tambun recently, the purpose was to build momentum and support in the northern region so that we can win more seats in Perak and contribute more seats at the federal level.

“At the moment, I do not think there will be any changes. We in Perak certainly need the president to remain here to help us win more parliamentary and state seats in the next election,” he said.

In the 15th General Election, Anwar won the Tambun parliamentary seat with a majority of 3,736 votes.

He secured 49,625 votes, defeating Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu of Perikatan Nasional, who garnered 45,889 votes.

Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Aminuddin Md Hanafiah received 28,140 votes, while Parti Pejuang Tanah Air candidate Abdul Rahim Tahir obtained 1,115 votes.

On speculation of internal unrest following recent resignations involving the PKR Tanjung Malim branch Youth chief, he downplayed the matter, saying it had not affected the party’s overall structure in the state.

“In Tanjung Malim, out of the committee lineup, only a small number stepped down. The majority remain and the branch continues its work as usual,” he said.

On Wednesday, PKR Tanjung Malim Youth chief Muhammad Haziq Azfar Ishak announced his resignation as a PKR Youth exco member and his immediate departure from PKR.

Haziq said the decision was made due to concerns over the party’s direction, which he claimed had increasingly deviated from its original struggle and principles.

Hairul also dismissed suggestions of a significant exodus of members in Perak, including claims linking them to a newly formed political platform.

“For now, there is no involvement of senior leadership or division chiefs. The numbers involved are very small compared with our overall membership of more than 100,000 in Perak,” he said.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

المصدر: New Straits Times