logo
Amirudin denies vacating Sungai Tua state seat

Amirudin denies vacating Sungai Tua state seat

The Sun03-06-2025
SHAH ALAM: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice president Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari today denied that the Sungai Tua state seat he won in the 2023 state election would be vacated.
Describing the claim as imaginary and baseless, the Selangor Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman said that vacating a seat to make way for an individual is not as easy as one might think.
'It's not that simple, it requires some research,' he said when met at the E-Bike Handover Ceremony to Selangor police at Selangor police contingent headquarters, here today.
Amirudin, who is also the Selangor Menteri Besar, said this in response to the claim that the Sungai Tua state seat would be vacated to allow for a by-election to be held, as well as to make way for Trade, Investment and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz to contest.
Last Friday, Tengku Zafrul announced his resignation from UMNO and his intention to join PKR.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Highly risky' to sacrifice Ampang MP for Tengku Zafrul, say analysts
‘Highly risky' to sacrifice Ampang MP for Tengku Zafrul, say analysts

Free Malaysia Today

time14 hours ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

‘Highly risky' to sacrifice Ampang MP for Tengku Zafrul, say analysts

Rodziah Ismail became Ampang MP in 2022 and was a three-term Selangor state assembly member, while Tengku Zafrul Aziz is a senator whose term expires in December. PETALING JAYA : It would be a highly risky move for PKR to drop Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail at the next general election to make way for the party's latest member, Tengku Zafrul Aziz, say two political analysts. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Rodziah's chances of being fielded again were very slim given that she had twice been defeated in her bid to lead Wanita PKR, and for being seen to be in the camp of former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli. However, he said fielding Tengku Zafrul for the Ampang seat in place of Rodziah was very risky given that he was practically an outsider, both in the party and the parliamentary constituency. He said Rodziah's victory in Ampang at the 2022 general election was because she has her own grassroots support in the area. 'So to put Tengku Zafrul there instead will be a very, very big gamble just as when he was in Kota Raja Umno – Tengku Zafrul has no grassroots support,' Azmi told FMT. 'He did not gain the respect of Umno members and I think it will be the same (in PKR); grassroots support is very important in Ampang.' Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia said it would be unwise to take the risk of supplanting Rodziah for Tengku Zafrul if Rodziah was proven to have served the people of Ampang well. Fauzi said Tengku Zafrul would lack the opportunity and time to build the connections and networks with Ampang folk before the next general election (GE16), while Rodziah had already established herself. He also described Tengku Zafrul as a 'political unknown' despite being in Umno since 1997, and who gained prominence only when selected to be finance minister in Muhyiddin Yassin's Cabinet in 2020. 'What does that tell you about his interest in politics? It was sparked by an opportunity to be in the Cabinet, not by a genuine concern for the hardships of the downtrodden,' Fauzi said. 'Given that he made his career in the banking industry as a high-powered executive at a relatively young age, it will definitely take some time before he matures into a politician who could genuinely identify with the people he represents.' In the 2022 general election, Rodziah was moved from the Batu Tiga state seat in Shah Alam to reclaim Ampang from Zuraida Kamaruddin, who won it with PKR before joining Bersatu and later Parti Bangsa Malaysia. In February, political sources told FMT that Tengku Zafrul was expected to contest a Selangor seat at the next general election, with Ampang being his top choice, and Petaling Jaya and Pandan as other possibilities. Earlier this month, PKR confirmed that Tengku Zafrul had joined the party as a member in the Ampang division following his resignation from Umno. Rodziah then said she was ready to make way for another PKR candidate in Ampang at GE16, but expressed hope that she would be able to see out her current term. Azmi said he did not expect PKR to try to force a by-election so that Tengku Zafrul, a senator whose term expires in December, can get a parliamentary seat and remain a minister. 'It would be difficult to force a by-election because Rodziah definitely will not give way voluntarily.' Fauzi meanwhile saw such speculation as possibly testing the ground in Ampang, to gauge whether or not it would be a good idea to field Tengku Zafrul in place of Rodziah. 'We still have about two years to go before GE16, so there should be ample time for party strategists to assess the mood on the ground.' Don't drop Rodziah entirely Fauzi said PKR should not drop Rodziah from its list of GE16 candidates entirely but consider fielding her in another winnable seat, having served as an elected representative since 2008 and developed a grassroots following of her own. He said Rodziah, a former Selangor executive councillor, has won her elections with majorities of more than 3,000 votes each time. Rodziah served three terms as Selangor assembly member for Batu Tiga from 2008 to 2023 and was elected as MP for Ampang in 2022. 'Given that she's 61 this year, she has a good four to five years ahead of her, given the shelf life of Malaysian politicians,' he said, adding that her being aligned with Rafizi only boosts her credibility. 'Being a female politician with a strong character, her presence within the upper echelon of PKR women's section only adds vigour to the party's leadership profile, her siding with Rafizi's camp notwithstanding.' However, Azmi disagreed. He said Rodziah had become like a 'thorn in PKR's side' like Rafizi and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, and it would not be surprising if she was dropped at the next general election.

Hassan welcomes new 12-party coalition, says good for democracy
Hassan welcomes new 12-party coalition, says good for democracy

Malaysiakini

time14 hours ago

  • Malaysiakini

Hassan welcomes new 12-party coalition, says good for democracy

A senior PKR lawmaker has welcomed the formation of a new 12-party opposition loose coalition, while cautioning that the government bloc faces internal weaknesses. Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim said Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement earlier today marked a 'positive development' for Malaysian democracy as the country heads towards the 16th general election, expected within two to three years.

Malaysia open to cross-border e-hailing talks with Singapore, says Loke
Malaysia open to cross-border e-hailing talks with Singapore, says Loke

Malay Mail

time18 hours ago

  • Malay Mail

Malaysia open to cross-border e-hailing talks with Singapore, says Loke

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the Ministry of Transport (MOT) is in principle ready to discuss with Singapore the implementation of cross-border e-hailing between Johor and the republic. He said the matter had been raised with Singapore's former Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, but the republic was not ready to discuss the proposal at that time. 'This matter cannot be implemented by one party alone; both sides must agree before it can be implemented,' he said when winding up the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) for the MOT in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. Regarding the Special Op for Foreign Vehicle E-Hailing on Aug 13, he said the Road Transport Department (JPJ) had detained and seized four private vehicles driven by Singaporean individuals, which are still under investigation by JPJ. 'Why is there this special operation? Because at the Singapore level, they are also enforcing the law on private vehicles from Malaysia, especially those from Johor Bahru entering Singapore, which are being stopped. It is said that they are providing an illegal service, such as e-hailing services. 'So, we are also taking the same approach in enforcing our laws as a reciprocal approach to what is being implemented in Singapore, but we hope there is a better long-term solution so that this cross-border connectivity can be improved,' he said. To address the issue of cross-border traffic congestion between Johor and Singapore, Loke said the federal government is, among other things, upgrading the main road network connecting the Bukit Chagar Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link station to make traffic flow more efficient. At the same time, he said the MOT and the Johor state government had announced an initiative to expand the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) scheme as a medium-term solution. 'The Johor government has also identified 13 bus routes from JB Sentral to strategic locations for passenger convenience. This initiative aims to create a more efficient intermediate bus network connecting residential and commercial areas to the Bukit Chagar RTS station,' he said. In addition, he said the MOT, through Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB), is planning to introduce the Southern Commuter service to complement rail services in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Loke said the service will provide faster, more comfortable, and cost-effective mobility access for people's daily commutes, in addition to being expected to be a catalyst for regional economic growth through increased connectivity within the region and reducing traffic congestion by offering a more sustainable alternative to private vehicle use. Regarding the proposal to build a Light Rail Transit (LRT) or Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) to Langkawi, Loke said the matter was not considered by the MOT as it could be very costly. He said, however, the MOT has various other proposals to improve public transport connectivity between Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis to Langkawi, including exploring the use of more modern and suitable boats or ferries. The Dewan Rakyat sitting resumes today. — Bernama

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store