KUALA LUMPUR – Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is confident of retaining the support of his divisional members in the upcoming PKR election in May, as he faces a straight battle with celebrity actor and director Datuk Afdlin Shauki.
Nik Nazmi said he, however, welcomes Afdlin’s decision to contest as Setiawangsa PKR division chief as it brings “a lot of colour” to the party polls and celebrates democracy within the party fold.
The first-term MP said he has seen much change in the division from the time he moved from being Seri Setia assemblyman in Selangor to the parliamentary constituency in Kuala Lumpur four years ago.
The division has grown to 5,000 members from 1,800 and to 15 branches from 3, established in almost every electoral district in Setiawangsa, compared to when he first contested the post of division chief in 2018, Nik Nazmi said.
“With the record that I have, I know it’s not perfect given the circumstances with the political changes, Covid-19, and everything else,” Nik Nazmi told The Vibes.
“I believe a lot of members can appreciate what I’ve done (for Setiawanga)...this is part and parcel of politics. I think that I welcome the competition and I know it won’t be a walkover for me.”
Last week, Afdlin told The Vibes he would be facing a tough fight against the incumbent Nik Nazmi when the two face off in the upcoming party polls.
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 animosity towards Nik Nazmi.
Afdlin said Setiawangsa PKR needed rejuvenation to ensure the party retains the constituency in the upcoming general election.
Nik Nazmi, however, said terms such as “rejuvenation” or “new blood” are catchwords used to express a sense of disillusionment with Malaysian politics.
But the 40-year-old career politician said there is a distinct difference between him and Afdlin when it comes to service in the party.
“I have been involved in the party since I was 19, more than half of my life,” Nik Nazmi said, adding that he had taken part in numerous reformation protests in the earlier days of the party.
“I have a sad life because I have spent so much time in politics rather than being a musician or footballer,” he quipped.
Earlier, Nik Nazmi announced that he was also gunning for one of the four elected vice-president seats in the party’s May 13-18 election.
He said his record of participating in past elections and protests with PKR spoke volumes of his loyalty to the party.
“I've been with the party through hell and worse, and I’m here to stay and I will never jump,” he said.
“I believe in the (party’s) multiracial cause, and I think I’m very well-versed in the issues (involved) as a legislator. I’m not that funny, and I won’t make it (my career) into a movie. I’ve done some videos and memang kayu,” he said, using the Malay term to describe woodenness in front of the camera.
“But that (entertainment and filmmaking) is a different field. (For) this field (politics), I am confident that I have what it takes and I've won three elections in a row.” – The Vibes, April 22, 2022
