KUALA LUMPUR – Kuala Langat MP Dr Xavier Jayakumar is taking a break from politics and will not contest in the 15th general election (GE15), The Vibes has learnt.
The former PKR vice-president who recently joined Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) is to convey his decision to PBM president Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin and make an official announcement today.
Xavier’s membership in PBM was announced by Zuraida on October 1.
His decision to take a break from politics was made after discussing the matter with family members and friends, sources said, although the actual reason is unknown.
Xavier won the Kuala Langat parliamentary seat on a PKR ticket in 2018, beating candidates from Umno and PAS by a 17,112-vote majority.
His first stint as an elected representative was as Seri Andalas assemblyman from 2008 to 2018.
After becoming an MP in 2018, he was appointed land, water, and natural resources minister in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
In March 2021, about a year after the PH government fell following the Sheraton Move, Xavier quit PKR and the PH coalition to become an independent MP supporting the Perikatan Nasional government that took over from PH.
His sudden departure from PKR led to speculation that he was trying to avoid possible prosecution following the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s probe into an associate of his. – The Vibes, October 20, 2022
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