SHAH ALAM, 11 Feb: The stature and credibility of the PKR de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as a respected figure in the Islamic world and internationally, shows that there is no candidate qualified to contest against him in the Kajang by-election in March.
The Dean of the Selangor Industry University (Unisel) School of Graduate Studies, Prof Dr Mohd Noor Nawawi, said that his charisma as a leader makes it hard for Anwar’s competitors to match his prowess.
He said, moreover, Barisan Nasional (BN) is likely to place a candidate from MCA to honour the seat which was once occupied by the party, when currently, MCA is in a pretty poor condition.
“I beg your pardon, but no one can match Anwar in terms of credibility in leading. In fact, Anwar is an international figure who is respected in the Islamic and non-Islamic world.
“Anwar also has strong influence, not only within the country, but also abroad. Anwar is the only figure in the Islamic world that is amicable by the Islamic and non-Islamic world.
“This is the uniqueness that Allah SWT gave Anwar and certainly, any figure who will contest in Kajang cannot beat his efficacy,” he said in an interview with Sinar Harian.
Mohd Noor said that because of the practice of democracy and because the country openly accepts this practice, there will certainly be a candidate put against him.
“I believe that this election will take place in peace. However, BN may place a candidate from MCA to respect the seat which was once occupied by the party.
“So far, there is no great candidate to beat Anwar. Furthermore, MCA is in a pretty poor condition at the moment,” he said.
In January, the former Kajang Assemblyman, Lee Chin Cheh, submitted his resignation to the Speaker of the Selangor State Assembly, Hannah Yeoh, who confirmed that the seat was vacant.
In the 13th General Election (GE13), PKR received 19,571 votes compared to the Barisan Nasional candidate, Lee Ban Seng, who received 12,747 votes.
