Dr Jeya a lone figure now in Sungai Siput
PETALING JAYA: Giant-killer Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj (pic), who brought down the mighty MIC president Tun S. Samy Vellu, has found himself all alone.
PKR, under whose banner the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) central committee member stood in the last three elections, is fielding its own candidate against him this time.
Hutan Melintang assemblyman S. Kesavan was announced by PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on Monday as the party’s candidate for the seat.
The announcement came days after Sungai Siput PKR division members made known that their favoured candidate was Kampung Muhibbah branch chairman Syed Ahmad Putra Syed Isa.
The seat will now see a crowded field comprising Dr Jeyakumar, Kesavan, PAS’ Dr Ishak Ibrahim and Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri S.K. Devamany, the MIC deputy president.
Given that in both 2008 and 2013, an independent candidate had also contested for Sungai Siput, it could see a five-cornered fight in GE14.
With the votes split so many ways, it’s anybody’s guess over who will win.
The Sungai Siput seat was long an MIC stronghold, starting with the win by the party’s fifth president Tun V.T. Sambanthan, who first contested it in 1959.
Samy Vellu held the seat for eight consecutive terms from 1974 to 2008 before being unseated by Dr Jeyakumar by a 1,821-vote majority.