PH should be wary with Azmin’s comeback - Expert

PETALING JAYA - Experts say with his win in Hulu Kelang, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali will surely be a strong voice in the Selangor opposition, and Pakatan Harapan (PH) should be wary of his return to the state legislative assembly.

International Islamic University Malaysia Political Expert Dr Syaza Shukri stated Azmin’s win signalled a stronger opposition in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly.

"Selangor will be more interesting five years down the road.

"Plus, I believe that Perikatan Nasional (PN) will use this as leverage to win more seats in the next election (GE16),” she said.

Dr Syaza said Azmin’s win was expected as he could be considered a political giant in Selangor’s political landscape.

However, political Expert Dr Oh Ei Sun said that Azmin’s win should be attributed to PN rather than Azmin as an individual.

"I think that the win in Hulu Kelang should be attributed to PN rather than Azmin.

"With his reputation as a political traitor and the instigator of the Sheraton move, it’s really doubtful that Azmin’s win was due to his charismatic appeal,” he said.

However, Dr Oh reiterated that now that he had gained the position of a state assemblyman, there was a possibility that he would be appointed as the opposition leader in Selangor.

"If this is true, this opportunity will certainly give him a platform to act politically,” he said.

Earlier, Azmin won the Hulu Kelang state seat in the Selangor state election with a majority of 1,617 votes.

The former International Trade and Industry Minister received 25,597 votes to defeat Wanita PKR deputy chief Juwairiya Zulfkifli of Pakatan Harapan (PH), who obtained 23,980 votes.