Chance of a last-minute switchback for PKR in Sungai Buloh?
COMMENT | Now that the redoubtable Khairy Jamaluddin is the Umno-BN candidate for Sungai Buloh, will PKR avail itself of the opportunity proffered by circumstance to revert to incumbent MP Sivarasa Rasiah as their contender rather than stick to newbie R Ramanan for the seat?
Earlier this week, PKR announced former MIC treasurer-general Ramanan as their replacement for dropped incumbent, Sivarasa Rasiah, for their stronghold of Sungai Buloh which the latter has held for three terms.
That was when it was not yet certain who the Umno candidate would be for Sungai Buloh, long an MIC preserve ceded to Umno for GE15.
Though it was bruited about that Rembau incumbent Khairy would be fielded by Umno for Sungai Buloh, the choice of who would be the PKR nominee to defend the seat did not acquire the urgency it now has after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that Khairy was their man.
COMMENT | Now that the redoubtable Khairy Jamaluddin is the Umno-BN candidate for Sungai Buloh, will PKR avail itself of the opportunity proffered by circumstance to revert to incumbent MP Sivarasa Rasiah as their contender rather than stick to newbie R Ramanan for the seat?
Earlier this week, PKR announced former MIC treasurer-general Ramanan as their replacement for dropped incumbent, Sivarasa Rasiah, for their stronghold of Sungai Buloh which the latter has held for three terms.
That was when it was not yet certain who the Umno candidate would be for Sungai Buloh, long an MIC preserve ceded to Umno for GE15.
Though it was bruited about that Rembau incumbent Khairy would be fielded by Umno for Sungai Buloh, the choice of who would be the PKR nominee to defend the seat did not acquire the urgency it now has after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that Khairy was their man.
Umno’s candidate for Sungai Buloh, Khairy Jamaluddin
Speculation about Khairy’s future has been rife since Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, a few months ago, rather unceremoniously asked Khairy to get out of his way in Rembau where Mohamad is the divisional leader and Khairy the MP.
Mohamad, a former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar, wants a federal role in politics while Khairy is a dark horse candidate for the presidency in many pundits’ reckoning of Umno’s future.
Khairy’s inevitable ouster from Rembau and his subsequent search for a seat has been a talking point in the political salons of the country.
Before Zahid made the announcement of Khairy’s candidature for Sungai Buloh, PKR had opted for Ramanan in place of Sivarasa, who like Khairy is an Oxford graduate.
The choice of Ramanan for Sungai Buloh caused a stir.
This was because Sivarasa, a PKR stalwart of long pedigree, beat Ramanan in the party divisional elections earlier this year.
Also, Ramanan is an ex-MIC bigwig, an identification of ill-repute in PKR, given what transpired when the party gave N Gobalakrishnan, another ex-MIC Youth leader, a chance as their candidate in Padang Serai in the 2008 general election (GE12).
Speculation about Khairy’s future has been rife since Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, a few months ago, rather unceremoniously asked Khairy to get out of his way in Rembau where Mohamad is the divisional leader and Khairy the MP.
Mohamad, a former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar, wants a federal role in politics while Khairy is a dark horse candidate for the presidency in many pundits’ reckoning of Umno’s future.
Khairy’s inevitable ouster from Rembau and his subsequent search for a seat has been a talking point in the political salons of the country.
Before Zahid made the announcement of Khairy’s candidature for Sungai Buloh, PKR had opted for Ramanan in place of Sivarasa, who like Khairy is an Oxford graduate.
The choice of Ramanan for Sungai Buloh caused a stir.
This was because Sivarasa, a PKR stalwart of long pedigree, beat Ramanan in the party divisional elections earlier this year.
Also, Ramanan is an ex-MIC bigwig, an identification of ill-repute in PKR, given what transpired when the party gave N Gobalakrishnan, another ex-MIC Youth leader, a chance as their candidate in Padang Serai in the 2008 general election (GE12).
R Ramanan
Gobala won in that seminal election which saw the opposition deny Umno-BN its supermajority in Parliament.
He ditched PKR in 2010, after he lost in his quest of a vice-presidential slot in party polls.
His behaviour was seen as predictable and a confirmation of MIC types as uppity and unreliable.
Stakes are high
The disclosure by PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli that the choice of Khairy as Umno’s candidate to wrest Sungai Buloh from PKR had raised the possibility of an eleventh-hour change in the party’s preference.
Rafizi hinted at the change because Umno’s fielding of Khairy had raised the stakes in the electoral contest in Sungai Buloh.
Ramanan is not in Khairy’s league whereas Sivarasa is: both are Oxford graduates and Khairy’s readiness to joust with opponents has made a Sivarasa vs Khairy debate a tantalising possibility, especially after Umno’s poster boy, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, disdained Pakatan Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim’s invitation to a prime ministerial debate.
Although Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shaari saw no need for a last-minute change of the announced PKR candidate (nominations day for GE15 is tomorrow), Rafizi had piped up to iterate the obvious: the dynamics for the seat have changed with Khairy’s entry into the fray.
Rafizi was saying that a stellar Umno contestant for their stronghold must be opposed by a PKR candidate of high wattage.
This is an accurate reading of the situation in a general election that, going into the final two weeks before polling, is a lacklustre affair for reason of the pervasive disappointment over what happened to voters’ high hopes for change at GE14.
A contest for Sungai Buloh between Sivarasa and Khairy is the sort of battle to enliven a lackadaisical affair.
TERENCE NETTO is a journalist with half a century's experience.
Gobala won in that seminal election which saw the opposition deny Umno-BN its supermajority in Parliament.
He ditched PKR in 2010, after he lost in his quest of a vice-presidential slot in party polls.
His behaviour was seen as predictable and a confirmation of MIC types as uppity and unreliable.
Stakes are high
The disclosure by PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli that the choice of Khairy as Umno’s candidate to wrest Sungai Buloh from PKR had raised the possibility of an eleventh-hour change in the party’s preference.
Rafizi hinted at the change because Umno’s fielding of Khairy had raised the stakes in the electoral contest in Sungai Buloh.
Ramanan is not in Khairy’s league whereas Sivarasa is: both are Oxford graduates and Khairy’s readiness to joust with opponents has made a Sivarasa vs Khairy debate a tantalising possibility, especially after Umno’s poster boy, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, disdained Pakatan Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim’s invitation to a prime ministerial debate.
Although Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shaari saw no need for a last-minute change of the announced PKR candidate (nominations day for GE15 is tomorrow), Rafizi had piped up to iterate the obvious: the dynamics for the seat have changed with Khairy’s entry into the fray.
Rafizi was saying that a stellar Umno contestant for their stronghold must be opposed by a PKR candidate of high wattage.
This is an accurate reading of the situation in a general election that, going into the final two weeks before polling, is a lacklustre affair for reason of the pervasive disappointment over what happened to voters’ high hopes for change at GE14.
A contest for Sungai Buloh between Sivarasa and Khairy is the sort of battle to enliven a lackadaisical affair.
TERENCE NETTO is a journalist with half a century's experience.
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