SO, will gambling on youth, relentlessness and charm triumph pay off for the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition now that the opposition camp will be fielding a local boy from FELDA Sungai Tengi who is also a seasoned businessman in the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election?

Last night (April 25), Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has unveiled Bersatu’s Hulu Selangor division acting head Khairul Azhari Saut, 54, as its candidate for the state seat which fell vacant after its DAP incumbent Lee Kee Hiong succumbed to ovary cancer on March 21.

“We held a supreme council meeting a few days ago to discuss about the PN candidate in more detail as well as to ascertain what are the strategic steps to win here (in KKB),” Muhyiddin who is also the Bersatu president told a candidate announcement ceremony at Bandar Utama Batang Kali.

“With this, I announce the decision of the PN supreme council that the candidate who will be contesting in the KKB by-election is Khairul Azhari Saut.”

Briefly, Khairul who is currently a general manager at Global Valley Venture Sdn Bhd received his early education at SK Felda Sungai Tengi (in KKB) and SMK Felda Soeharto (also in KKB) before pursuing an Executive Diploma in Management at Universiti Malaya in 2019 and later an Executive Master’s in Business Management from Universiti Malaysia Pahang (in 2021).

For the record, PH had on Wednesday (April 24) evening unveiled Pang Sock Tao (nicknamed Xiao Tao or XT) who is the 31-year-old press secretary to Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming late last night (April 24) as its candidate for the KKB by-election.

In addition to PH and PN, MUDA and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) have also expressed interest in contesting in the by-election slated for May 11. Nomination for the by-election will take place tomorrow (April 27).

The by-election is the seventh to be held after the 15th General Election (GE15) in 2022.

The electoral roll for the Kuala Kubu Baru by-election comprises 40,226 registered voters consisting of 39,362 regular voters, 625 police personnel, 238 military personnel and spouses, and one absentee voter residing abroad.

At a glimpse, KKB is a mixed constituency with Malay voters accounting for 46% of the electorate, Chinese (30%), Indian (18%) and others (6%). - April 26, 2024

https://focusmalaysia.my/pn-to-field-bersatu-acting-hulu-selangor-acting-head-to-take-on-phs-beauty-with-brain-secret-weapon-xt/