DOES Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali still have the support of his constituents in Gombak now that he has expressed his desire to defend his incumbent Gombak parliamentary seat after his move to Perikatan Nasional (PN)?
Gombak has always been a Pakatan Harapan (PH) stronghold as Azmin has served for three consecutive terms as its MP, whilst having the Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari as Sungai Tua assemblyman.
Have the hearts of the Gombakians changed after Azmin who the last time had received 75,113 votes with a 48,721 vote majority, the highest in the Gombak constituency during the 14th general election (GE14) in 2018 as one of the driving factors which lead the Opposition coalition to victory?
Azmin in announcing his candidacy is expected to contest under the Bersatu ticket stating he would leave it to the people of Gombak to make the “right and responsible” decision, adding on that it was a democratic process to elect a representative for the constituency.
“I have been in Gombak for a long time, the people know me. They know my capabilities and devotion. I’m ready to continue serving the people of Gombak,” said the Bersatu supreme council member on the Agenda Awani programme last night (Oct 25).
During the height of the pandemic, Azmin had led 10 PKR MPs in defecting to Bersatu, what has been infamously known as the Sheraton Move.
The move saw the Pakatan Harapan government collapse after just 22 months in power and then the rise of the PN government led by Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The incumbent Gombak MP has been described as a “traitor” by his Pakatan counterparts who have fought hard to make a change in government by getting rid of the 50 year rule of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
Azmin has always been an integral part of the reformasi movement and the founding of PKR when Anwar was imprisoned in 1998.
The politician’s Sheraton Move had shocked his Pakatan counterparts and supporters, ultimately disappointing his Gombak constituents, hence come GE15, there is a likelihood for the Gombak voters to vote him out.
With that begs the question, who will be the ideal candidate from the Opposition coalition to be fielded in the Gombak constituency, which has always been a hot seat for Pakatan? Sure the candidate to be fielded will not be a regular Pakatan candidate but someone who probably served as the coalition’s MP or assemblyman in one of its hot seats. – Oct 26, 2022
Main photo credit: Bernama
