By Danial Dzulkifly
SUNGAI BULOH, July 30 — The Kota Damansara state seat in Selangor will undoubtedly be closely watched as it serves as a significant indicator of the success of cooperation between Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) and Barisan Nasional (BN).
Since its creation in 2004, the state constituency has swapped hands between Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) and Umno in each general election, with no one party being able to win it consecutively.
This time, however, the two former nemesis will be campaigning on the same side under the Unity pact, with Harapan given the “right of way” to contest, owing to its incumbency.
For the record, Kota Damansara’s sister seat Paya Jaras — both are under the Sungai Buloh parliamentary constituency — was also won by a Harapan candidate in the last election.
The last-minute change in candidate by Keadilan for Kota Damansara has added further intrigue to the contest in the state seat.
Initially, the party had announced Aidi Amin Yazid as its candidate to replace incumbent Shatiri Mansor. But in a surprising eleventh hour move, it decided to instead field its state youth chief, 32-year-old Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim.
In a campaign speech late last night in Subang Bestari, Keadilan president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim addressed the last-minute change in candidates, emphasising that the decision to replace Aidi with Izuan was made to ensure proper representation from Keadilan’s Youth wing in Selangor.
“There are no Keadilan Youth candidates contesting in Selangor… Izuan is the Selangor Keadilan Youth chief, so we think it’s appropriate,’’ he said to a crowd of almost 1,000 people gathered for the ceramah.
However, Anwar did not provide further clarification regarding the specific reasons for the change in candidates, leaving room for speculations and questions among supporters and observers.
Full support
Despite lingering questions, the ceramah last night saw a significant display of solidarity and cross-party support for Izuan.
Among those present were the last two incumbents — Shatiri (2018 – 2023) and Umno’s Halimaton Saadiah Bohan (2013 – 2018).
The event also attracted supporters from both Harapan and BN, including prominent Umno figure Datuk Megat Firdauz Megat Junid, who pledged his unwavering support for Izuan during his speech.
His assurance that he would rally behind Izuan, provided the Keadilan man works diligently for the people, resonated with the crowd and elicited applause.
“You have my guarantee, if you work hard for the people, we will come out and support you in full force,’’ he said to applause.
Addressing the crowd, Izuan himself admitted that he is not a local candidate, but assured Kota Damansara voters that he would focus on people-oriented issues rather than inflame religious or racial sentiments.
“I will not misrepresent myself as if I am a local boy, but I will work hard to help the people here. There is much work that needs to be done, especially in assisting people living in flats in Kota Damansara.
“So it is better for me to address their issues, such as broken-down lifts affecting some 5,000 people, for example, rather than stoking sentiments like our political rivals in Perikatan Nasional (PN),” he said.
Blessed seat
When met at the ceramah last night, Sungai Buloh MP Datuk R. Ramanan dismissed suggestions that the state seat was “cursed”, considering the see-saw of parties representing the constituency.
“I don’t think so, I think it’s a very blessed seat for a simple reason. It is the one unique seat whereby the MP (for Sungai Buloh) has, for the past two or three terms, been from Harapan, and it looks like it will be the same for this seat too, this time.
“So, regardless of the minor hurdles that we have to face, I think this is a very blessed seat,” he said.
Ramanan also said that there are no concerns about BN and Harapan supporters working together effectively at the grassroots level.
“Today I’ve met both the candidates (Kota Damansara and Paya Jaras). I’ve also had the opportunity of meeting BN’s leadership. I don’t see any problem at all.
“Even if we go down to the grassroots level, everything is synchronising very well,’’ he said.
On a similar note, Ramanan does not think the change of candidates will have an effect on support in the seat, as it happened prior to nomination, and not after.
“Some might say it is odd, but this is not the only place where such changes have happened. It has happened in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and here in Selangor. So, of course, sometimes, as you heard in the prime minister’s speech, it is not easy to deal with political leaders and factions.
“He has a very difficult job to appease everybody. Sometimes, calculations need to be revised, and the best decision needs to be made. But whatever it is, it’s the decision of the party and the president, and we will follow it,’’ said Ramanan.
Izuan will go up against PN’s Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin in the August 12 polls.
