Azmin vs Zaid getting Hotter

Nominations equally split for Azmin, Zaid in Penang

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:52

By Athi Shankar

PENANG: Nominations for PKR deputy president hopefuls Azmin Ali and Zaid Ibrahim were equally divided among four divisions in Penang which held their AGMs and divisional polls yesterday.

Permatang Pauh, headed by party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and Kepala Batas divisions nominated Azmin while Tasek Gelugor and Batu Kawan divisions chose Zaid.

Insiders said Tasek Gelugor members chose Zaid because they felt that the former de facto law minister was more “reform-orientated” who can bring quality to the party leadership.

“Zaid is seen as a person with pro-active ideas and is an asset to the party. Many members felt he could lead not only PKR but also Pakatan Rakyat, unlike Azmin,” said an insider.

Before Penang, PKR vice-president Azmin has received the most nominations from seven states – Kedah, Pahang, Sabah, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan and Perlis – for the post of deputy president since divisional meetings kicked off last Friday.

Azmin received a whopping 39 nominations from the seven states from a total of 53 divisions. Supreme council member Zaid received 15, vice-president and Perak PKR chief Mustafa Kamil Ayub got seven, while party elections director Fuziah Salleh and chief strategist Tian Chua received one each.

For the national Youth wing chief's post, all four divisions were united in nominating Badrul Hisham Shaharin, or popularly known as “Chegu Bard”.

Another division, Bagan, which held its AGM and elections yesterday, did not announce nominations for any national top party positions as yet.

Division chairman Ahmad Farid Arshad, who successfully defended his seat in yesterday’s polls in Butterworth, said he would officially announce the nominations tonight.

Giving Anwar legitimacy

Interestingly, the Tasek Gelugor division nominated PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim for the president’s post despite his announcement that he would not contest in the party polls.

Anwar also received one nomination for the president’s post from Perlis’ Arau division last week.

A Tasek Gelugor leader said that the division wanted Anwar to contest the president’s post to gain legitimacy for his position as party supreme leader.

“He cannot go on as party supremo (ketua umum) without the members’ mandate,” said the leader.

The other three divisions – Kepala Batas, Batu Kawan and Permatang Pauh – nominated Anwar’s wife Wan Azizah for the president’s post.

Before this, Wan Azizah has garnered 17 divisional nominations for the position.

The nomination process is a prelude to what is to come at the October-November party polls. PKR amended its constitution to pave the way for a direct election system.

It means 400,000 of its members can vote directly for the divisional and all 25 national posts, including the party's top six positions.

The Tasek Gelugor division also nominated current secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, Penang PKR chief and Deputy Chief Minister 1 Mansor Othman and Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrisnan and Azmin for the four vice-presidents' posts.

Batu Kawan division nominated Fuziah (Kuantan MP), Mansor, Gopeng MP Lee Boon Chye and Subang MP Sivarasah Rasiah, while Kepala Batas division picked current national Youth wing leader Shamsul Iskandar Mat Akin, Mansor, Fuziah and Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff.

Wan Azizah’s Permatang Pauh chose Mansor, Shamsul Iskandar, Lee and Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar.

FMT