PKR names candidates, retains Tian Chua

PETALING JAYA: Despite earlier rumours that PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang (pix), better known as Tian Chua, would be dropped, he has been retained to defend the Batu parliamentary seat in the general election.

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will vacate her Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat to contest in the Pandan parliamentary constituency.

She replaces incumbent Rafizi Ramli, who was convicted of breaching a banking confidentiality law over his role in the exposure of the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd scandal, which disqualifies him from contesting. The seat vacated by Wan Azizah up north would be fought by her daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, the PKR vicepresident and incumbent Lembah Pantai MP. PKR communications director Ahmad Fahmi Mohamed Fadzil will be making his debut in federal politics by taking Nurul Izzah’s place, where he is expected to face an uphill battle against Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin. PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was named as the candidate for Kedah’s Kulim Bandar Baru parliamentary constituency.

Interestingly, he has also been chosen to vie for Penang’s Pantai Jerejak state seat. There is speculation that he would be named the deputy chief minister if he were to win.

The full candidates list, signed by Wan Azizah, contained the names of all candidates for the 51 parliament and 130 state seats the party is contesting in the peninsula. The party is yet to announce its candidates for Sabah and Sarawak.

The list saw several movements of incumbents and the introduction of fresh faces in various parliamentary and state constituencies.