SHOCK REPRIEVE FOR KU NAN & JOHARI? INSTEAD OF BIG GUNS LIKE EX-EC CHIEF, BERSATU FIELDS LITTLE-KNOWN CANDIDATES IN PUTRAJAYA & TITIWANGSA

Bersatu has named ex-lecturer and Cheras Bersatu chief Samsu Adabi Mamat as its candidate for the Putrajaya parliamentary seat.

This is despite talks that former Election Commission chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman would be Bersatu’s candidate to face off against incumbent Putrajaya lawmaker Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Malaysiakini previously quoted party sources as claiming that Rashid was confirmed as the candidate during a meeting last week.

Asked to comment on this, Samsu Adabi pointed out how it was a mere media report as opposed to the party’s official stance.

“What that was decided is the one that has been announced tonight,” he told reporters in Putrajaya tonight.

Asked the reason behind the move from Cheras to Putrajaya, Samsu Adabi pointed out how Cheras is currently the DAP’s seat.

“The party (Bersatu) decided that candidates for seats in the federal territories should be from among division chiefs in the federal territories.

“Bersatu only got Titiwangsa and Putrajaya (so) the party tried to look for the best candidates,” he said.

The former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer also confirmed that he was still a registered voter in Tanah Merah, Kelantan.

“It never crossed my mind that I would be fielded as a candidate. This is why I did not change the place where I will be voting because Tanah Merah is my hometown,” said the 49-year-old.

Federal Territories Bersatu chief Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya had earlier made the announcement on Samsu Adabi’s candidacy as well Bersatu Women chief Rina Harun’s candidacy for the Titiwangsa parliamentary seat.

Rina is expected to face incumbent Titiwangsa MP Johari Abdul Ghani, who won the seat with a razor-thin 866 vote majority.

Suhaimi said a board led by Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad together with the party’s president Muhyiddin Yassin and deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir had chosen the “most suitable candidates” for the two seats.

“They were chosen based on leadership qualities, competence, credibility and responsibility,” he added.

– M’kini