Perikatan fields Azmin, Rina in Selangor

PETALING JAYA – Datuk Seri Mohd Azmin Ali and Datuk Seri Rina Harun are among the big names announced to contest in next month’s Selangor election by Perikatan Nasional today.

Azmin – who has served as a senior federal minister and also Selangor menteri besar – will be contesting in Hulu Kelang.

Meanwhile, Rina, a former women’s minister, will be running in Batu Tiga.

It had been speculated earlier that Azmin would be leaving his traditional Bukit Antarabangsa seat for the neighbouring Hulu Kelang.

Bukit Antarabangsa will now be contested by Bersatu’s legal and constitutional bureau deputy chief, Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif.

Rina also heads Bersatu’s women’s wing.

Azmin, who was among 56 candidates announced by PN chief Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, also leads PN in Selangor.

He first won the Hulu Kelang seat under PKR in 1999. He contested and won Bukit Antarabangsa also under PKR in 2018’s general election, but defected to Bersatu in 2020 following the Sheraton Move.

Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Asari will defend the Selat Kelang state seat, while Nurul Syazwani will contest in Permatang.

Nurul is the daughter of former Umno strongman Tan Sri Noh Omar.

Overall, Bersatu will contest 31 seats, followed by Pas (17), and Gerakan (eight) in Selangor.

State PN secretary Dr Afif Baharudin will contest in Taman Medan, while Selangor Pas chief Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi will defend the Sijangkang seat which he has held since 2008.

“All our candidates have been screened by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Inland Revenue Board, police, and the Insolvency Department, and all of them have passed,” said Muhyiddin.

Bersatu won six state seats in Selangor during the 2018 general election. It continues to hold four, having lost two assemblymen who left for Pejuang. – The Vibes, July 26, 2023