IF ‘FULL OF SCANDAL & OF NO USE TO ANYONE’ AZMIN WAS TESTING THE WATERS, HERE’S THE ANSWER – WHO CARES! – SO LONG AS HE COUGHS UP THE MONEY, ILLICIT OR OTHERWISE, TO HELP DRIVE PN-BERSATU-PAS CAMPAIGN FOR SELANGOR, HE CAN RETIRE WHETHER ‘MOMENTARILY’ OR PERMANENTLY!
Azmin’s break from politics won’t affect PN in Selangor, says analyst
Azmi Hassan from Akademi Nusantara says while the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman has been propped up as PN’s menteri besar candidate, he does not hold much sway in the state.
PETALING JAYA: Former Selangor menteri besar Azmin Ali’s decision to hit the pause button in politics will not affect Perikatan Nasional’s planning for the state polls, say political analysts.
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said while Azmin had been propped up as PN’s menteri besar candidate, he did not hold much sway in the state.
“A menteri besar candidate cannot be someone with no influence. Azmin was previously ‘popular’ due to PKR and PKR supporters,” he told FMT.
Azmi said Azmin’s popularity plunged following the Sheraton Move which toppled the Pakatan Harapan government and led to his subsequent exit from PKR.
Amirudin Shari defeated the three-term MP with a 12,729-vote majority.
“This means that voters have trust issues with Azmin and it is more telling as Azmin is synonymous with Gombak,” Azmi said.
On Sunday, Azmin, who was Selangor’s menteri besar from 2014 to 2018, announced that he would be hitting the pause button in politics to decide on his next step.
He is still the assemblyman for Bukit Antarabangsa, a seat he won in the 14th general election in 2018.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaysia said Azmin’s announcement was meant to “test the waters” and gauge the public’s response after a long hiatus and his loss in Gombak in the general election.
“He is not disturbing anything at the moment, this is a tactical move,” Awang Azman said.
Nadzri Mohamed Noor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said Azmin was not the main driver of the “green wave”.
He said if PN loses in Selangor in the upcoming polls, it will not be because of Azmin’s absence.
“Azmin’s absence will slightly impede PN in its bid to win Selangor, but it is nothing compared to allegations in relation to Bersatu’s funds, that is a bigger factor,” he said.
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