PKR will field former law minister Zaid Ibrahim in the Hulu Selangor by-election, setting the stage for a 'clash of the titans' with BN's G Palanivel. Zaid's candidacy was decided today at the political bureau meeting held at PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's home in Segambut Dalam, Kuala Lumpur. According to a party leader who attended the meeting, the political bureau endorsed Zaid's candidacy because he stands the best chance of winning the seat for PKR."This is a 'must-win' by-election and thus, we must field the strongest candidate that we have," a source told the Malaysiakini journalist who waited outside Anwar's house.The source added that the decision to choose Zaid was unanimous.
State leaders are expected to be briefed at 1pm at the party headquarters in Petaling Jaya and an official announcement will be made during a ceramah in Serendah tonight. Anwar and other top Pakatan Rakyat leaders, including PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, are to attend the event tonight. PKR's announcement of its candidate comes two days ahead that of BN, which is expected to name MIC deputy president G Palanivel as its candidate on Thursday.
Nominations will be filed on Saturday, while polling will be held on April 25.
Prominent lawyer.....
Zaid is a prominent lawyer who once ran the biggest law firm in the country. He was previously the Kota Bharu MP and a member of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's cabinet. In 2008, he quit his ministerial post and left Umno in protest of the use of the Internal Security Act on an opposition leader, journalist and blogger. Soon after, Zaid joined PKR and quickly rose up the ranks. He was an instrumental figure in the formulation of the Pakatan Common Policy Framework, an important document that outlines the fledgling coalition's policy direction.
Zaid is relatively free of controversy, but his campaign will be dogged by the fact that he was once found guilty of vote-buying by the Umno disciplinary board.
source:malaysiakini
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