KUALA LUMPUR – Lawyer Syahredzan Johan has vowed to assist DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH) recapture Putrajaya in the coming polls, as speculations mount over his possible candidacy in Bangi.
Although no formal announcement has been made by the party, sources close to the matter told The Vibes that Syahredzan has been earmarked by DAP’s upper echelons to contest in the super-sized constituency, where he is tipped to make his electoral debut.
Ong Kiang Ming, the incumbent MP there, announced last month his intention to take a break from frontline politics and will not be offering himself as one of the party’s candidates in the upcoming general election.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook had then said that Ong’s successor will not necessarily be the party’s sole assemblyman in Bangi – Wong Siew Ki is the state rep for Balakong, which is within the parliamentary constituency – fuelling rumours that a new face could be placed there.
When contacted for comment, Syahredzan, who is political secretary to former DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang, was rather muted. He neither confirmed nor dismissed talks of him possibly succeeding Ong.
He simply said it is his duty as a party member to help the political outfit win the general election in whatever capacity.
He will leave it up to the discretion of the party’s top guns in deciding whether he participates in the polls, he uttered.
“All I will say is that whether I am fielded as a candidate or not is a decision to be made by the party’s top leadership,” he said.
“The leadership will decide on who will be suitable candidates for the next general election, and for which constituencies, both at the federal and state levels.”
The buzz on Syahredzan began after he was spotted, on several occasions, making rounds in Bangi in recent weeks since Ong’s decision to not defend the seat, including meeting constituents there and paying a visit to some of the more popular eateries in the area.
On May 11, Ong similarly hinted that his party colleague could succeed him in Bangi, when asked by Sinchew Daily about his replacement.
The former international trade and industry deputy minister had said that the answer could be found on his Instagram.
A check on his account found that he had uploaded a photo having breakfast with Syahredzan just four days earlier.
Syahredzan’s rumoured candidacy also comes as no major surprise, with DAP looking to place more Malay candidates in the coming election.
In an interview with The Vibes’ Malay language sister portal Getaran, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng agreed that the party ought to nominate more candidates from among the race but said they should be of high calibre and credibility.
For Syahredzan, DAP is blessed with an abundance of suitable candidates of different races and backgrounds to vie for election, be it incumbent or those currently waiting in the wings ready to be picked.
“Such is the depth that we have, I believe that this is a good ‘problem’ to have and bodes well for the future of the party,” Syahredzan said. – The Vibes, June 15, 2022
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