The 2018 general elections will largely be determined by the intensity of the opposition coalition’s campaign, the public’s reaction to the ruling coalition’s electoral pledges and, of course, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
At the same time, the quality of individual candidates and the races they run will be central to the opposition coalition’s chances of retaining Selangor. With this in mind, here are nine candidates to watch in gauging which way and how hard the electoral winds are blowing in Selangor.
A political veteran since 1986, Mohamed Hanipa Maidin is a progressive but controversial figure in the Islamic political movement in Malaysia. His moderate and tolerant Islamic views which espoused inclusivity and diversity often made him a target by conservative Muslims on both sides of the political divide. Yet no one can deny his tenacity, a given for any successful politician.
A double degree holder in civil law and Shariah, Mohamed Hanipa Maidin finally won the Parliamentary seat of Sepang in 2013 on his fifth attempt. He had campaigned four times previously in different constituencies in Johor and Selangor. By his own admission, he believes in justice and will stand up for his political foes if he believes justice is denied. “There is a verse in the Quran, verse 8, chapter 5 which says you have to disperse justice even to your political enemies. When I was a member of PAS, I was against Anwar Ibrahim and the ruling coalition. However, when the ruling coalition went against Anwar Ibrahim, I stood up for him because I feel no one deserves to be treated that way. I wrote a lot of articles on the Anwar case from a legal point of view. As a result, many in PAS labelled me and some of my colleagues who supported Anwar Ibrahim as Anwarinas. But I believe in speaking up when something is unjust. A spade must be called a spade.”
This strong sense of justice is also extended to other races. “I fight for all races. I think the rights of non-Muslims should be defended because we live in a multi-racial society.” It was this notion that eventually led him and other PAS politicians to form Parti Amanah Negara to bring a new outlook in Islam — one that is moderate and tolerant of other races in society.
Primarily known for his work as a lawyer, Mohamed Hanipa Maidin made a career defending human rights abuses perpetuated against his colleagues like Mat Sabu and Khalid Samad. However, he laments the lack of independence of the judiciary which is the reason why he believes democracy is threatened in this country especially in the run up to the elections. “The abuses by the Electoral Commission to deny the opposition a fair election is ridiculous. Election is the language of democracy and you have to respect the choice of the people. During my time in PAS, I fully supported local government elections but I was eventually reprimanded by PAS leaders for having that view.”
While he believes that issues like GST and the high cost of living will help Pakatan Harapan’s chances in winning the election he is also realistic. “Based on feedback from my constituents, the ground is ripe for change. But I have to be realistic and not belittle the right of my constituents to choose. All I can do as their elected representative is to serve their interests in the best way I can and hope that what I do is good enough for them to make them re-elect me.”
