Three-cornered battle in Titiwangsa between PAS, PPBM and BN

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — The Titiwangsa parliamentary seat will see a three corner battle between BN, PAS and PKR after nominations were closed for the seat today.

Caretaker Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani will be aiming to retain his Titiwangsa seat from PAS’ Mohammad Noor Mohammad and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM)’s Rina Harun, who is contesting under a PKR ticket.

Rina is wearing a red baju kurung to represent PPBM, but with a blue tudung or headscarf to represent PKR, whose symbol she will be using.

The nomination process went smoothly as expected with all three candidates entering the nomination centre, SMK Aminuddin Baki, at 9am and submitting their papers in turns.

All three candidates even found time to sit together on the same breakfast table to strike up a civil conversation while waiting for the nomination period to close at 10am today.

Johari was accompanied by more than 500 supporters, while Rina and Mohammad both were accompanied by some 200 supporters each.

Rina is a first time candidate while Mohammad contested this seat back in 2004, but lost.

Johari won this seat from PAS’ Ahmad Zamri Asa’ad Khuzaimi by only 866 voters in the last election.

Titiwangsa has 61,598 voters in this elections, with 70 per cent of them Malays, 17 per cent Chinese and 9 per cent Indians.

Johari battled internal unhappiness among some Umno members in Titiwangsa to be fielded as a candidate again here, while Rina also had to manage some unhappiness among local PPBM and PKR leaders over the decision to field her.

Mohammad meanwhile had promised to move popular nightclub Zouk out of Titiwangsa if he was elected as the MP here, saying that this was a Malay majority area.

Spurce : The Malay Mail; 28 April 2018