Khairy to contest in Sungai Buloh

Khairy to contest in Sungai Buloh, source confirms


Incumbent Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin will contest the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15), according to BN sources.

"Yes, Khairy will contest in Sungai Buloh. The decision was finalised recently.

"The announcement will be made by BN chairperson (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) soon," the source told Malaysiakini.

The Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat was traditionally MIC's, but the party lost to PKR for three consecutive terms.

According to the source, the fact that Khairy's (above) political secretary, Megat Firdouz Megat Junid is the Sungai Buloh Umno division chief gives him (Khairy) the advantage to contest there.

Khairy, who is also the health minister, left the Rembau parliamentary seat for Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan to contest there.

The Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat was held by PKR's R Sivarasa from 2008 to 2022, but for GE15, the seat will be contested by PKR deputy information chief R Ramanan, who was also a former MIC secretary-general.

Meanwhile, a source from MIC said the party was planning to contest in the Batu parliamentary seat.

MIC eyeing Batu

"We have let go of Sungai Buloh, so we will get a replacement seat.

"MIC is negotiating to contest in the Batu parliamentary seat," the source added.

Batu used to belong to Gerakan when the party was still part of BN. However, the party left the coalition after the latter's defeat in the 2018 general election.

Following this, Umno and MIC have both been eyeing the seat.

PKR has already announced that incumbent Batu MP P Prabakaran will be defending the seat in GE15.

Besides him, the seat also has two independent candidates vying for it - namely lawyer cum activist Siti Zabedah Kasim, better known as Siti Kasim, as well as lesser-known businessperson, Nur Fathiah Syazwana.

It is worth noting that MIC had also previously swapped the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat to Teluk Intan, and Kapar to Kuala Langat.