Ampang-bound, PKR's Rodziah sure of 'traitor' Zuraida's fall
Ampang PKR coordinator Rodziah Ismail, who is tipped to contest the Ampang parliamentary seat, is confident that voters will reject its incumbent MP Zuraida Kamaruddin in the forthcoming 15th general election (GE15).
Rodziah, who is the Batu Tiga assemblyperson and the Selangor executive councillor for housing, urban well-being, and entrepreneur development, declined to comment on the candidacy issue when contacted.
She said the official decision would only be known once the PKR leadership makes an announcement, which is scheduled to take place during an event in the Ampang constituency tonight.
However, as the constituency coordinator for PKR, Rodziah (above, right) said Ampang voters would never forget Zuraida’s role in the Sheraton Move political coup that brought down the Pakatan Harapan federal government in 2020.
“I think not only her (Zuraida), but the popularity of all 11 (former PKR MPs) who betrayed the rakyat’s mandate has gone down.
“I believe the people of Ampang will not forget this betrayal easily, the role she played in the plot to bring down Harapan.
“It is the right thing to do for them to reject her because, she is not only a traitor, but has also been jumping from party to party for her personal interest and such a selfish politician should have no place in society,” Rodziah told Malaysiakini.
She was referring to Zuraida’s departure from PKR in 2020 together with Azmin Ali, who was the then PKR deputy president, and nine other leaders aligned to Azmin.
Zuraida (above, left) was a PKR vice-president when the group participated in the political coup. They then joined Bersatu, in which Zuraida was made a supreme council member.
She has since left Bersatu to join Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), a newly registered political party organised by some who are politically linked to her.
Zuraida with Bersatu supreme council member Azmin Ali (right)
She is now in a power tussle with PBM founding president Larry Sng, another former PKR lawmaker, who recently said he never handed over the PBM presidency to Zuraida, as claimed.
Many issues in Ampang
Meanwhile, Rodziah said Zuraida, who is the plantation industries and commodities minister, has failed to address many issues in her constituency.
This is something the PKR leader believes is another sore point that would give Harapan’s candidate an advantage against the “PBM president-designate”.
“So far, from my observation during my work as Ampang PKR coordinator, it came to my surprise that there were many issues which its former YB (Zuraida) did not solve.
“And with the experience I have, as I have been engaging in many dialogues with the rakyat, I will try to solve these issues for them, as part of my job as a coordinator,” she said.
Rodziah was among several names said to be on the PKR top leadership’s list to contest in Ampang.
Another party leader initially slated to contest in Ampang was incumbent Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, who is also the daughter of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
However, Malaysiakini learned from party sources that the PKR leadership wants Nurul Izzah to defend her seat of Permatang Pauh in Penang and let Rodziah contest Ampang.
She is now in a power tussle with PBM founding president Larry Sng, another former PKR lawmaker, who recently said he never handed over the PBM presidency to Zuraida, as claimed.
Many issues in Ampang
Meanwhile, Rodziah said Zuraida, who is the plantation industries and commodities minister, has failed to address many issues in her constituency.
This is something the PKR leader believes is another sore point that would give Harapan’s candidate an advantage against the “PBM president-designate”.
“So far, from my observation during my work as Ampang PKR coordinator, it came to my surprise that there were many issues which its former YB (Zuraida) did not solve.
“And with the experience I have, as I have been engaging in many dialogues with the rakyat, I will try to solve these issues for them, as part of my job as a coordinator,” she said.
Rodziah was among several names said to be on the PKR top leadership’s list to contest in Ampang.
Another party leader initially slated to contest in Ampang was incumbent Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, who is also the daughter of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
However, Malaysiakini learned from party sources that the PKR leadership wants Nurul Izzah to defend her seat of Permatang Pauh in Penang and let Rodziah contest Ampang.
Incumbent Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar
Should Rodziah be announced as the Ampang candidate tonight, she may face an uphill battle as Zuraida’s winning majority has grown significantly each time she has contested there since the 12th general election in 2008.
In 2008, Zuraida wrested the seat from BN when she defeated Azman Wahid with a 3,676-vote majority. In 2013, she more than tripled her winning majority by defeating BN’s Rozaidah Talib by 13,278 votes.
During the political tsunami of 2018, which saw a change in the federal government, the former housing and local government minister received 54,307 votes to win with a landslide 41,956-vote majority.
Should Rodziah be announced as the Ampang candidate tonight, she may face an uphill battle as Zuraida’s winning majority has grown significantly each time she has contested there since the 12th general election in 2008.
In 2008, Zuraida wrested the seat from BN when she defeated Azman Wahid with a 3,676-vote majority. In 2013, she more than tripled her winning majority by defeating BN’s Rozaidah Talib by 13,278 votes.
During the political tsunami of 2018, which saw a change in the federal government, the former housing and local government minister received 54,307 votes to win with a landslide 41,956-vote majority.
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