State polls: The fates of Azmin, Noh still vague - Experts

SHAH ALAM - The fates of the three big names who strengthened the Selangor Perikatan Nasional (PN) machinery in the next state election are still unclear, even though they have their own leverages.

Ilham Centre Executive Director Hisomuddin Bakar said for example, Selangor PN Chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, despite having an excellent record in the administration of the state government when he was Menteri Besar, his chances of success in state election was still unknown.

Furthermore, he added that during the 15th General Election (GE15), Azmin lost to the state Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari when they competed for the Gombak Parliamentary seat.

Hisomuddin expected that Azmin would migrate to other areas to increase his ability to win from his stronghold in the Bukit Antarabangsa State Assembly to the Hulu Kelang State Assembly, which Gombak Division Amanah chief, Saari Sungib, held.

He predicted the same case with former AMK deputy head and former PKR state legislative assembly member for Seberang Jaya, Dr Afif Bahardin.

Hisomuddin believed that Afif's chance to try his luck in the Shah Alam Parliament again, namely in the Batu Tiga State Assembly, was still vague.

"Based on the trend of voter support in the last GE15, Azmin and Afif could indeed win, but the setting of the PRN this time is different because of various influencing factors that can change at any time," he told Sinar Premium.

For Tan Sri Noh Omar, who is now the PN warlord, Hisomuddin saw voters' acceptance was not the same for the former Barisan Nasional (BN) Selangor chairman as when he was dropped as a Tanjung Karang Member of Parliament candidate at the eleventh hour of GE15.

"Initially, many Umno members expressed that they sympathised with Noh's fate, but based on the party's struggle, they are now back with BN for the sake of survival and extending the party's political life.

"However, if it is true that Nurul Syazwani (Noh's daughter) contests in the Permatang state seat, which is one of the seats under the Tanjong Karang Parliament, the result may be different compared to if Noh himself is the PN candidate in the area involved," he said.

Hisomuddin also predicted that former PKR vice president Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin; former PKR Women's chief Haniza Mohamed Talha and her deputy Dr Daroyah Alwi, would not contest in the state elections as they were not in the PN camp or other party members after being dismissed from Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).

Furthermore, Hisommudin remarked that it was impossible that Pas would give up the state legislative seat to someone else unless Bersatu was willing to compromise and give way to the individual involved to contest in Selangor.

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Centre for Media and Information War Studies security and political analyst Dr Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin believed that the majority of party leaders, including Azmin and Noh, might lose if they compete in the next state elections.

He further remarked that this was because voters and the Selangor community considered the duo traitors and had been disloyal to their parties.

He added that the rakyat of Selangor also chose candidates to represent the party that formed the Unity Government, which was the PH-BN coalition because they wanted to maintain the stability of the Federal and State Governments.

"The political stability that exists after the formation of the Unity Government may cause opposition candidates, especially those who jump parties, to be rejected by voters in Selangor because they are considered traitors.

"The second factor that determines whether or not the party jump leader can win in the next state elections is the extent to which the people in Selangor can accept the new political alignment, which is the cooperation between BN and PH in the Unity Government in Putrajaya now," he said.