KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — With Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu throwing in their hats for the Tambun parliamentary seat in GE15, Perak Umno secretary Datuk Aminuddin Md Hanafiah may seem like the underdog.
But Aminuddin, who has been nominated to run there by the state Umno chapter, told Utusan Malaysia that he is unafraid to face the two high-profile politicians if Barisan Nasional (BN) confirms him as its Tambun candidate later on.
“I am not afraid, we [BN] have been here for a long time, this is our area.
“Both of them [Anwar and Peja] are only big in name but can’t necessarily win, big name is not a guarantee to win,” the former Hulu Kinta assemblyman, who lost the state seat to PKR’s Muhamad Arafat Varisai Mahamad in GE14, was quoted saying in a report today.
Peja is the nickname for Ahmad Faizal.
“If we look at GE14, Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah [BN candidate], is a big name and a minister but he lost to a new person [Ahmad Faizal]. BN is confident of seizing the Tambun Parliament this time,” added Aminuddin, who is also the Tambun division leader for Umno.
He believes all election candidates have an equal chance to win as voter sentiments and the the country’s political landscape have changed since GE14.
“GE15 is expected to see a change in the voting pattern in which voters who have experienced an unstable government because it is made up of various coalitions.
“This time the voters will be wiser to make a choice to see a stable government,” he told the newspaper.
To Aminuddin, another factor in his favour is that Ahmad Faizul previously won Tambun as a PH candidate but will have to contest against the coalition in the November 19 vote since Bersatu is now with Perikatan Nasional.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced Aminuddin as a potential candidate for Tambun last Saturday.
Election candidates will be officially known on November 5, which is nomination day for GE15.
