GE15: PKR's dropped incumbents, hopefuls have nothing to do with being 'pro-Azmin Ali'

The Star:

GE15: PKR's dropped incumbents, hopefuls have nothing to do with being 'pro-Azmin Ali'




PETALING JAYA: Reminding PKR to refrain from shuffling candidates around often, Chua Tian Chang - popularly known as Tian Chua (pic) - has also rubbished talk that some incumbents and hopefuls were dropped from the PKR candidate list due to being “pro-Azmin Ali”.

The PKR veteran said he is not questioning the decision on the candidacies but shuffling candidates around could lead to voters losing confidence, adding that whoever makes the cut must also remember to take care of the grassroots.

“Take care of the grassroots and make sure you build a link in the community and strengthen yourself. Don’t expect by hopping here and there that we will get trust from the people. This is the only message and it is for everyone who is being appointed,” he said.

"I am not questioning them to say that they shouldn't be appointed. I am just saying take care of the grassroots and build strength,” he added.

Chua says he has no issue with PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks that older candidates must give way to younger candidates.

He also “categorically denied” that he and some incumbents such as incumbent Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah were dropped because of a purported faction aligned to former PKR number two Azmin Ali.

Branding the pro-Azmin narrative as media speculation, Chua said those who are deemed as Azmin’s allies have left the party with him.

Several MP who were seen as pro-Azmin exited the party when the then deputy president Azmin quit the PKR in February 2020 leading to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government.

“You have to start building your grassroots. That is my message. I don't think any of these exercises has anything to do with being pro-Azmin or not,” he said.

"How can you say that Datuk Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani MP) is pro-Azmin?

"The only one they try to focus on is me,” he said.

“I am not pro-Azmin, if I was, I would have gone with Azmin already.

"Maria Chin is not pro-Azmin, she is a Bersih person. Dr Lee Boon Chye (Gopeng MP) has got nothing to do with being pro-Azmin as well,” he added.

He said whether it can be justified why they were dropped was a separate matter altogether.

“What I am trying to say is don't drag Azmin’s name in. That has nothing to do with being pro-Azmin,” he said.

Chua had previously expressed interest that he wanted to contest in the Batu seat, for which he was a former MP. However, Batu incumbent P.Prabakaran was selected to defend the seat in GE15.

Speculation was rife that several MPs did not make the cut due to the pro-Azmin narrative.

Apart from Chin, Sungai Buloh incumbent Sivarasa, who has contested in several general elections for PKR, was also dropped.

PKR announced its candidate list for 72 seats in Peninsular Malaysia on Oct 28.