The Malaysian Insight

SELANGOR’S economic adviser, Fahmi Ngah, may be in the running to be PKR’s candidate for the Seri Setia by-election.

The Office of the Selangor Economic Advisor chief executive officer is said to have the support of eight party branches for the state seat, according to party sources.

Fahmi is favoured because of his academic qualifications that are of equal standing to late Seri Setia assemblyman Shahruddin Baharuddin, whose death from cancer on August 2 had left the seat vacant.

“Eight branches sent letters of support for Fahmi to be the candidate.

“He is the most qualified and on a par with the previous assemblyman, who was a professor and university vice-chancellor,” a party source involved with candidate selection told The Malaysian Insight.

Another source said Fahmi was popular with Seri Setia residents due to work he had done there since 2014 concerning issues such as rubbish collection at low-cost flats. Tipped as a candidate for the seat in the 14th general election, his name was later dropped.

A third source said Fahmi was in the running to represent PKR in the by-election because of his success in managing the Smart Selangor programme run by Menteri Besar Inc, an initiative that used IT to provide services to the state’s residents.

PKR won the Seri Setia seat in the May 9 election with a majority of 19,372 in a four-cornered fight that involved PAS, Barisan Nasional and independent candidates.

PKR is expected to announce its candidate for the by-election before nomination day this Saturday.

The by-election has been dubbed by some as the “Seri Setia move”, aimed at paving the way for party leader Anwar Ibrahim to enter Parliament.

The move would involve a PKR MP moving to contest the Seri Setia state seat, vacating a federal seat to allow for a by-election that Anwar would then contest.

Anwar is expected to succeed Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in two years’ time under an agreement by all Pakatan Harapan parties, but he first needs to become a member of Parliament.

Other names tipped to be fielded in Seri Setia are Anwar’s daughter, Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, as well as Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil.

The Selangor-level leadership also has its own preferences, with names such as former Petaling Jaya City councillors Halimey Abu Bakar thrown in.

Yaakob Sapari is another possibility, as he had been in the running for the Kota Anggerik state seat in the general election before his name was dropped.

Two other names from the state leadership are lawyer Nuranie Haziqah and former Kota Damansara coordinator Radzlan Jalal. – August 14, 2018.