Saifuddin tipped to be Penang DCM
> PKR sec-gen among five new faces to be fielded by Pakatan Harapan
GEORGE TOWN: Penang PKR will field five new faces in the 14th general election (GE14) with its national secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail named for the deputy chief minister post if Pakatan Harapan (PH) retains the state.
Penang PKR state chairman Datuk Mansor Othman yesterday said changes “will be made in the party’s candidates list” but remained tight-lipped on the five newcomers who would replace the incumbents.
Saifuddin, a political nomad with stints in Kedah and Kelantan, is speculated to be given a state seat as well as an attempt to wrest the Kulim-Bandar Baru parliamentary seat from Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir of Barisan Nasional (BN).
“Once the list is ready then an announcement will be publicly made.
“It will be fast. We will probably announce it maybe in the next few days,” said Mansor, who is the caretaker Nibong Tebal MP.
PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai incumbent Nurul Izzah Anwar is expected to be fielded in Permatang Pauh, while incumbent Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah could be shifted to a seat in Selangor.
Former Kebun Bungah assemblyman Jason Ong Khan Lee could make a comeback to his former territory as its incumbent Cheah Kah Peng is said to be facing the axe, largely due to his muchpublicised fall out with the DAP-led state government.
Lawyer Yusmadi Yusoff is set to be fielded in the Balik Pulau parliamentary seat despite been dropped in 2013.
Penanti state seat incumbent Dr Norlela Ariffin is slated to defend her seat for a second-term despite her differences with the state government.
Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon might be moving to parliament, while PKR Youth deputy head Dr Afif Bahardin could still stand in Penang despite speculations that he would be relocated back to his home state of Selangor.