Selangor polls: Azmin says he won’t stand for election in his ‘kampung’ of Hulu Kelang
KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Selangor Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has said that he won’t be contesting the Hulu Kelang seat in the upcoming Selangor state elections.
Azmin said he did not want to be a candidate there because it was his hometown.
“I have been offered seats in Hulu Kelang, Morib, Batu Tiga and a few others but I won’t be standing in Hulu Kelang just because that is my kampung,” he was quoted as saying by The Star.
“Hulu Kelang has been my hometown since I was four years old, since 1968, and yes, I have been offered to stand there but I have offers from others too.
“The party decides where one stands — not me. The PN strategy is candidates who can win, which we have many of — not merely placing candidates wherever — they must be candidates who can serve the people.”
After three terms, Hulu Kelang assemblyman Saari Sungib will reportedly not defend his seat in the upcoming state election for health reasons.
The seat also became a hot topic recently when it was reported that Umno was gunning for it.
Saari, who first won the seat in 2008 under Islamist party PAS, held the Hulu Kelang seat in 2013 and later 2018 when he left PAS to form Amanah.
In 2018, Saari won with a 15,349-vote majority over Barisan Nasional candidate Ismail Ahmad.
On Wednesday, the Election Commission (EC) set August 12 as voting day in elections which will be held simultaneously in six states, namely Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh also announced that nomination day was set for July 29, while early voting date will take place on August 8.
