Ezam to contest in Klang for upcoming state polls

Much-travelled Ezam Mohd Noor is set to run in his hometown of Klang in this year’s Selangor state polls. 

Ezam (above) is set to be fielded by Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and head the small party’s challenge in Selangor.

“I accept the party’s decision and will assume the responsibility of being the head of the Selangor state machinery.

“I myself will contest in my birthplace in Klang in the Selangor state election this time,” said Ezam.

Ezam was formerly an Umno member who gained prominence as a Reformasi activist with PKR.

Eventually, he left PKR and rejoined Umno during the Najib Abdul Razak administration. 

He was even appointed a member of the Dewan Negara but left Umno for a second time in 2016. After flirting with the NewGen party, he joined PRM.

“At first, I was reluctant because I had never run for a state assembly seat before. I had never been active in state politics.

“Finally, I accepted it as a responsibility to the party and the state of my birth. 

“The party sees the need to provide voters with an alternative to compete with the two big coalitions (Pakatan Harapan/BN and Perikatan Nasional) that are clashing now,” he added.

He said there are those who remind them to compete against two big coalitions even though PRM is small and risks defeat.

“Winning or losing is a small matter in the struggle. In the struggle, even if we go to jail or even die, we are not afraid. Especially when it comes to losing.

“What is more important in a struggle is to uphold and defend principles. Fighting the evil corruption of the elite is one of the foundations of the struggle and cannot be compromised,” he said.

PRM was originally formed in 1955 and gained prominence as part of the Socialist Front coalition with the Labour Party of Malaysia.

However, it was decimated by repeated ISA detentions in the 1960s and 1970s, eventually merging with Parti Keadilan Nasional in 2002 to form today’s PKR.

A group of dissidents who opposed the merger then revived the party through a legal challenge. 

However, it has not regained any semblance of strength and during the recent general elections, Ezam was among PRM’s 16 candidates for Parliament in the 15th general election, all of whom lost their deposits. - Mkini