Selangor Amanah leader calls it quits just days before nomination

GE14 | Just 10 days before the nomination day for the 14th general election, Selangor Amanah election bureau chief and Kota Raja chief Jaafar Samsuddin has quit the party with immediate effect.

When contacted, Kota Raja Amanah Division deputy chief Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud confirmed his resignation.

"It's true, we were informed about this in our internal communication group, I read his resignation letter sent to the state division, and I read about it on Malaysia Dateline," she said.

Earlier today, Amanah's mouthpiece Malaysia Dateline reported Jaafar's resignation, and enclosed a letter from him stating that he needs to focus on family affairs.

However, he also told the portal that he felt his voice was not being heard, and his efforts not appreciated by Amanah’s central and state leadership.

"I feel that my existence in the party brings no good.. .I heard (people saying) bad things about me, as though I had done something bad.

"I felt so ashamed as an office bearer in the state to be treated such a way," the 62-year-old was quoted as saying.

Jaafar joined PAS in 1998 and held the position of Selangor PAS election director from 2002 to 2015. He left PAS for Amanah in 2016.

Prior to that, he was a member of Umno and Semangat 46, and worked with the late Selangor menteri besar Harun Idris.

Jaafar denied being disappointed in not being fielded for the Kota Raja parliamentary seat and Meru state seat.

"I had been listed as candidate for Meru and Kota Raja, but some quarters were unhappy with me. Honestly, I don't care who will be fielded," he said.

However, Siti Mariah contends that Jaafar quit because he was not being fielded as candidate.

"This is the party decision we have to accept. This is common in politics and we have to be prepared," she added.

Speculation had beef rife that Jaafar was unhappy at the fact that party president Mohamad Sabu was being parachuted into Kota Raja.

Siti Mariah denied this, stating it is unlikely that Jaafar was unaware of Mohammad’s candidacy.

“It is impossible for Jaafar not to know, he is part of the state leadership, and this move had been discussed for some time,” she said. -Mkini