KLANG: There is buzz going around that Umno has eyed and asked for the Port Klang state seat, which is a PKR stronghold.
The seat was apparently requested for Selangor Umno rising star Zainuri Zainal, who has his heart set on the seat.
Zainuri – who is the Klang Umno division chief – has history with the Port Klang seat as his late father Datuk Zakaria Deros had won the seat in the 2004 general election.
Zakaria was a popular and powerful political warlord in Klang until his untimely demise in 2008.
A Barisan Nasional source said Zainuri was confident of making headway in Port Klang because of his connections there.
“The Port Klang seat is also the only Malay majority seat under Klang, and Zainuri feels it will suit him best,” said the source.
However, he added, there was also a high chance of Zainuri not getting the Port Klang seat as the incumbent PKR assemblyman Azmizam Zaman Huri has a very strong presence in the constituency.
Hence, the speculation is that Zainuri may be given the Selat Kelang seat which comes under the Kapar parliamentary constituency.
Incidentally, Zainuri’s father had also contested and won the Selat Kelang seat in the 1999 polls.
The incumbent for the Selat Kelang seat is Selangor Bersatu chief Datuk Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari.
When contacted Abdul Rashid, said even though the Selangor Bersatu candidates list has not been finalised yet, he will probably be defending his seat.
“There is a high probability that I will be defending the Selat Kelang seat but it will be known for sure when our list is ready,” he added.
According to Abdul Rashid, the list of Selangor Bersatu candidates will only be finalised after the Election Commission had announced the nomination and polling dates.
Meanwhile, another Barisan insider reckoned that anything can be made possible under the current circumstances.
He added Barisan and Pakatan Harapan’s unity partnership was not even something imaginable previously but is now a reality.
“So, why can’t it be possible for Umno to get the Port Klang seat?” he asked.
– The Star