'Think about next generation, not GE16': Zulkifli responds to speculation over Hulu Selangor visits

 

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan has stressed that his increasingly frequent presence in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency is not a signal that he will contest the seat in the 16th general election.

The academic figure said his current focus is on maximising public welfare rather than planning political strategies for polls.

“Politicians usually think about the next election, but statesmen think about the next generation.

“So I think about delivering the best welfare and benefits to all Malaysians. We are not thinking about that (GE16),” he said in a video shared on social media.

Zulkifli’s (above) recent appearances in Hulu Selangor have fuelled speculation after he was seen actively carrying out programmes there since February.

Among the events he attended were the distribution of Rahmah cash aid as well as assistance programmes at Darul Quran Kuala Kubu Bharu involving the Orang Asli community and students with disabilities.

‘Early preparation’

A party source close to PKR’s top leadership claimed there were “signals” for Zulkifli to intensify his activities in Hulu Selangor as an early preparation for the Madani government to retake the hotly contested seat from Perikatan Nasional.

However, Hulu Selangor PKR chief and former GE15 candidate Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan viewed the minister’s frequent visits as a welcome collaboration for the benefit of local residents.

Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan

“Of course he comes often. They organise programmes and invite me as well. Hulu Selangor welcomes all ministries as long as the people are taken care of,” he said.

Sathia added that voters in the constituency are now wiser in assessing leaders who consistently help them, compared with individuals who only appear during campaign season.

PN’s Hasnizan Harun is the Hulu Selangor MP. In GE15, he won the seat with a slim majority of 1,569 votes.

With a mixed electorate of about 140,000 voters, the seat is regarded as one of the fiercest battlegrounds heading into GE16. - Mkini