All eyes on S’gor PKR fight
Intense affair expected, especially in Pandan
KLANG: The third and final leg of the Selangor PKR elections takes place tomorrow and is expected to be an explosive affair.
The most watched division will be Pandan, where vice-president Rafizi Ramli is vying for the top post in a four-cornered fight.
What makes the fight more interesting is that one of the candidates Rafizi is facing off against is Lembah Jaya assemblyman Haniza Talha.
Haniza, who is aligned to incumbent deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, is currently leading in the contest for the Wanita PKR chief position.
When contacted, Haniza, who described herself as the underdog in the four-cornered battle for the Pandan division chief ’s post, said she and her team were aware that it might be a heated affair.
“Of course, everyone will be interested in the Pandan division election as Rafizi is contesting.
“I have prepared my team to handle any situation that may arise, but have also told them to stay calm and not retaliate if there is a provocation,” she said.
Haniza added that the opposing team was known to be aggressive in their campaigning and that was why she has reminded her team to be “professional and not behave like thugs”.
“We want the election to go smoothly, as we don’t want to risk it being declared null and void due to untoward incidents,” she said.
Rafizi, meanwhile, said he was confident that the Pandan division polls would proceed smoothly and peacefully.
“We have given a full final briefing to our machineries and volunteers so that they can help in ensuring that the process is orderly.
“So, I don’t think additional security measures are necessary for the time being,” said Rafizi.
Mayhem and chaos were the order of the day in several divisions in last week’s second leg polls, with fist fights and unruly behaviour erupting in some places and police having to be brought in to calm the situation.
The axis of the PKR polls is the volatile fight for the party’s number two position between incumbent Azmin and Rafizi, which may swing either way.
Azmin is currently in the lead with a slight edge, but Rafizi appears to be catching up.
Both candidates have their own strengths and while Azmin excelled as Selangor mentri besar and implemented some high-achieving social programmes, Rafizi is known for his acumen in networking and social media prowess.
Although both leaders are running almost neck and neck, Azmin’s team has somewhat moved ahead in the race for the women and youth wings’ chiefs and vice-presidential posts.
Only Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, from Rafizi’s team, is sprinting at top speed in the vice-presidential race.
Besides Pandan, other divisions holding their polls tomorrow are Shah Alam, Hulu Langat, Ampang, Kuala Selangor and Tanjung Karang.