KUALA LUMPUR – Celebrity actor and director Datuk Afdlin Shauki said he will be facing a tough fight against incumbent PKR Setiawangsa branch chairman Nik Nazmi Ahmad when the two face off in the upcoming party polls.
Afdlin, who joined the party last year, announced his bid to contest the Setiawangsa branch chief post on Monday.
The multiple award-winning entertainer, who cut his teeth writing and performing comedy skits before hitting the silver screen, said service is the driving force behind his decision to contest the post and not any animosity towards Nik Nazmi.
“I have great respect for Nik Nazmi and what he has done for the party. I am entering the party elections to give party members an option of a candidate who does not have political baggage behind me,” Afdlin told The Vibes.
“I am less about the politics and more about the service. I am ready to be of service to rejuvenate the party in Setiawangsa and strengthen PKR’s footing in the area. (It is) definitely a tough fight as Nik is the incumbent MP.”
Earlier, Afdlin said the branch needed to undergo rejuvenation to ensure the party retains the constituency in the upcoming general election.
In announcing his bid to contest yesterday, Afdlin said the structure and efforts to uphold the people’s voices needed to be reorganised.
He said this was required along with the need to consolidate the branch’s administration by uniting the strengths of older members and the newer ones to ensure the welfare of the Setiawangsa community was always protected.
Afdlin will run his party campaign alongside deputy branch chief candidate Mohamad Faidzal Ibrahim, vice chief hopeful Muhammad Ibrahim Hilmy Noor Mohamed Asley, as well as another 15 committee candidates with different backgrounds.
“I believe the involvement of our team is that it is an effort to do good and bring changes without any prejudice towards any parties,” Afdlin said in a statement.
“The main focus of our team is to bring about a political culture of serving so that the branch’s effort would always prioritise the people of Setiawangsa.”
Afdlin said the party’s machinery at the branch level needed to be consolidated ahead of GE15, while ensuring the welfare of party members.
“Setiawangsa is not merely a political stopover for us. My home is here, our home, and together we combine our energy for the sake of a more prosperous Setiawangsa.”
Nearby Ampang, meanwhile, will see a celebrity clash between veteran actor Datuk Hans Isaac and rapper-turned-producer Altimet (Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad), who are both aiming for the PKR Ampang branch chief post.
The two celebrities reportedly registered themselves to contest for the post formerly held by Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin, who defected to Bersatu following the infamous Sheraton Move.
It is understood that the two personalities would be running against six other candidates who are eyeing the post.
Last April, party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced Altimet and Afdlin as new PKR members.
Altimet had said then that it was Afdlin who had inspired him to join PKR, while Afdlin had said it was “his dream” to see Anwar as prime minister.
The Vibes has reached out to Hans and Altimet, who is abroad, for comment.
Nominations for the party elections, set for May 13-18, closed at 11.59pm last night. – The Vibes, April 13, 2022
