Must be a PKR candidate - becos PKR seat - it is so Barisan Nasional

Well, we have a by-election - and it saddens me that PKR is saying that it is a PKR seat, and hence it will be fielding a P"KR candidate. It is so BN... [Remember, that these were all PAS, DAP, PRM seats before PKR came into being...]

I believe that the best candidate must be fielded - not a PKR candidate...maybe not even a Pakatan Rakyat (PKR-DAP-PAS) candidate. It could be a PSM candidate...maybe even a PRM candidate...or even a Human Rights Party candidate ...or just some other person from the civil society or the communitywho has a proven 'history' of fighting for human rights and justice...

We want the best candidate - and the Opposition must be open (and not be seen taking  a  'protecting my turf/seat' position).

Maybe, we should be placing an Orang Asli candidate - for after all, there is no Orang Asli MP.

Maybe a social activist, who have been working for the community - the people for years and years.

What are the other things that one look at? Ethnic composition of the constituents. Some PKR person in 2008 told me that Temerloh had a Malay majority - so they had to field a  Malay candidate. I was so disappointed with that 'answer', because this was PKR (that multi-ethnic multi-religious party - that is blind to skin colour) - for there really is no place where the majority are from the other than Malay ethnic groups - thanks to the way the UMNO-led BN has divided the Parliamentary Constituencies..

Find the best person - someone with an history of working for rights, justice and peace...

PKR candidate - I am worried as many PKR elected reps have jumped ship - maybe, it should be some other person.

Sometime - what they want is a PKR 'yes person' or Pakatan Rakyat 'yes person' - some person who will not challenge the current party leadership and will be subservient. Many of the Pakatan Rakyat MPs/ADUNs seem to just 'disappear' - just not there taking up or fighting for any issues or causes. We want MPs/ADUNs that are strong...and would be out there championing issues and causes (best if it is someone who has a 20 plus year history of doing this...)

Now, they want a Dr Halili Rahmat - I googled his name - and found out that he is Dato' Dr. Halili Bin Rahmat, MBBS (Mal) FRACS (Neurosurgery) - in Sime Darby's Subang Jaya Medical Centre. Well, a doctor for the rich... and will he really have time to attend Parliament and serve his constituents. Background: - Is he from UMNO - those that followed Anwar out into PKR? Has he got a history of being involved in issues affecting the poor...the ordinary people. I have not heard of him before this...and could not find any blog of his - which would have been good to see what he is about - his views, etc ...Wonder also about his 'Dato-ship' - when did he get it. Was it on recommendation of the UMNO-led BN? [I really do not know Halili - and I hope that those who do will tell me[and the readers] more about this doctor.He may be a good person with a long history of standing up and fighting for rights...]


I believe that we should find a people's person to be the MP - someone who have been involved in issues or rights and justice for a long time - not some Dato...Dr.. 'professional' - maybe we need an ordinary person..


As I said, let us not be trapped in party-self centredness - PKR seat ....so we need a PKR member. If that be the case, then the door is closed for all who are not PKR, DAP, PAS...members. DAP has in the past picked 'non-members' to stand under the DAP ticket - Pick the best person to be the MP...

A noted neurosurgeon, Dr Halili Rahmat, is fast emerging as PKR's choice as candidate for the upcoming by-election in Hulu Selangor.

Born in Ulu Yam, he is known to be a close associate of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Halili (right) is currently the PKR Hulu Selangor division treasurer.

He has had had two outings on the hustings, but with no success.

In 1999, he contested the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat, but lost to MIC deputy president G Palanivel.

In 2004, he stood for the Batang Kali state seat, but lost to Umno's Zainal Abidin Sakom by 8,828 votes.

However while Halili's professional credentials are respectable enough, PKR's Hulu Selangor division is also considering its vice-chief Razali Mokhtar as a candidate also.

Razali, born in Batang Kali, is an engineer in his 40s. He was the former general manager of Bumi Highway.

When contacted, a senior leader said the two names - and one more yet to be decided - will be submitted to the top leadership within two days.

The party is expected to discuss the candidacy at Wednesday's political bureau meeting.

It had been earlier speculated that the candidate could likely be national-level leaders such as Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, Selangor PKR deputy chief Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, who is also MTUC president and Pakatan Rakyat coordinator Zaid Ibrahim.

Choice of candidate

Several top party leaders refused to speculate about the various named being floated.

PKR vice-president R Sivarasa (below) reiterated the party stance that the candidate selected will be the one with the best chance of winning.

"The party will take into account various factors including his/her background, experience and qualifications; the demography of the voters; the particular characteristics of the constituency; views of coalition partners; and all other relevant factors.

"No one of these factors by itself determines who the candidate should be," he said when contacted.

The Hulu Selangor seat was made vacant due to the death of PKR's Zainal Abidin Ahmad, 71. He succumbed to brain cancer on March 25.

This will be the 10th by-election since the 2008 general election, with Pakatan Rakyat having had the better of Barisan Nasional in the overall outcome.- Malaysiakini, 29/3/2010, By-election: PKR to field neurosurgeon?