[VIDEO] ‘Bigger name’ than Halim needed in Paya Rumput: PKR info chief

MELAKA – When PKR announced its list of candidates last Saturday for the coming Melaka election, there was one jarring omission – its state chief.   

Datuk Halim Bachik, who has led the party’s state chapter since 2018, was not fielded as a candidate by Pakatan Harapan although the respective chairmen of coalition allies – DAP’s Datuk Tey Kok Kiew and Adly Zahari from Amanah – made it on the list. 

Halim is understood to have begun working the ground in Paya Rumput since the previous general election, and was therefore widely touted to run for the state seat in the Melaka polls. 

However, PKR information chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar’s candidacy in the state constituency meant that Halim was not placed elsewhere, as PKR is only allocated a “limited number of seats”.  

Shedding some light on the matter, Shamsul in an exclusive interview with The Vibes revealed that the decision was made by the central leadership with the strategy of putting forth someone with a “bigger name” to go against the seat’s incumbent Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen.  

“At that time, the party had put up a strategy to field candidates to go against the Perikatan Nasional incumbent. In Paya Rumput, it was Rafiq.  

“So, in terms of strategy, the party thought to field someone of equivalent strength against Rafiq.

“As far as I am concerned, with my post as the information chief, they think I have equal strength to go against Rafiq as vice-president of Bersatu,” said Shamsul, who is two-term Hang Tuah Jaya MP.

However, Rafiq will not be defending the Paya Rumput seat this time around. Instead, PN has fielded him to defend Telok Mas, after its incumbent Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad was sacked from the party for his part in bringing down the Melaka government last month. 

After taking into consideration a few factors – age, race, and gender – and scrutinising possible candidates, Shamsul said Halim had to be “sacrificed” in order to prioritise the party and its reform agenda to recapture the state.

“Both Halim and I have been working in Paya Rumput for a few years. As for me, I have been here since 2013. 

“There were suggestions for Halim to contest elsewhere. But Halim argued that he has been working in Paya Rumput and it’s not appropriate for him to contest in other areas where others are already working on that particular area. 

“This also similarly applies to Datuk Ginie Lim. It is also not easy for the party to drop an incumbent like Lim for the Machap Jaya seat. She is a very hardworking assemblywoman and is liked by her voters. But we had to make this tough call.” 

This comes amid dissatisfaction among the Paya Rumput grassroots who wanted Halim to be a challenger in the Bersatu-held seat.  

Shamsul said he acknowledged the grassroot members’ discontent and hoped to resolve the issue in a matter of days.  

“I don’t think it’s a big issue now because as Halim is the state chief due to him not contesting, he can give full attention to all 11 (PKR) state seats that are being contested. Out of 11 seats, only Datuk Gue Teck and I have experience contesting. The others don’t. 

“Halim’s help can enhance their campaign strategies. And of course, when we win, we will make arrangements with Halim to make sure he also contributes to the state.”  

Shamsul is tangled in a fierce battle in the Paya Rumput state seat, where he will be facing four opponents – Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Rais Yasin, Muhammad Faris Izwan Mazlan from PN, Mohd Hashidi Mohd Zin from Putra, and independent Mohd Jaini Dimon. – The Vibes, November 11, 2021