Saiful takes on ex-boss in by-election
Anwar’s former aide contesting as an independent candidate
PETALING JAYA: Today’s nomination for the Port Dickson parliamentary seat is set to raise eyebrows and trigger much interest as Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan (pic) has announced his intention to contest as an independent.
The former aide to PKR president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that he would stand against his ex-boss, whom he alleged had sodomised him in the past.
“I am contesting purely as an independent without any party backing me.
“Let me set the record straight. I am not contesting because of my past but for other reasons,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Mohd Saiful said he would reveal more once his nomination papers were filed and accepted by the returning officer as a candidate for the seat.
“I have thought about it thoroughly and I feel it is the right move,” he said.
On Feb 10, 2015, the Federal Court upheld Anwar’s conviction and his jail term imposed by the Court of Appeal for sodomising Mohd Saiful in Bukit Damansara in June 2008.
Anwar was originally acquitted by a High Court on Jan 9, 2012, from the charge but on March 7, 2014, he was convicted and sentenced to a five-year jail term by the Court of Appeal.
On May 16 this year, Anwar, 71, was given a full pardon by the King.
This fourth by-election since the May 9 polls will go into the record books for having the most number of aspirants vying to represent the constituency.
Besides Mohd Saiful, six other candidates have declared their intentions to vie for the seat after Pakatan Harapan’s incumbent Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah quit on Sept 12 to make way for Anwar to return to Parliament.
Among those who have announced their intentions to contest are former Negri Sembilan mentri besar Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad, 68, who will stand as an independent after resigning from Umno and a PAS’ Lt-Kol (Rtd) Mohd Nazari Mokhtar, 57.
Two others are Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Ahmad Kamarudin, 42, who was once a Kapar PKR Youth chief and social media personality Stevie Chan Keng Leong, 51.
However, former MIC secretary-general Datuk S. Kumar has decided to pull out after Barisan Nasional opted to stay out.
Of the five who are contesting, only Mohd Isa, who was mentri besar for 22 years and a five-term Linggi and one-term Bagan Pinang assemblyman, is a local.
Talk of more aspirants joining in the fray will only be confirmed today when they arrive at the Port Dickson Municipal Council hall to file their papers between 9am and 10am.