No Seats For Chegu Bard And M Ravi...?

SEREMBAN: Popular PKR figures M Ravi and Badrul Hisham Shaharin are in danger of being left out of the election candidates’ list as punishment for their outspokenness.

FMT has learnt that Negri Sembilan PKR is ignoring the strength of the two politicians in their power bases as it engages in seat negotiations with PAS and DAP.

Ravi is the state assemblyman for Port Dickson and Badrul Hisham, better known as Chegu Bard, is widely seen as the most winnable candidate for the Rembau parliamentary seat. Both are known to be critical of state PKR chairman Kamarul Baharin Abbas.

A Telok Kemang PKR member said his party’s negotiators seemed keen to let DAP contest in Port Dickson in exchange for the Rahang seat, which Kamarul Baharin is apparently interested in.

“It’s unlikely that Ravi will be given a chance to contest anywhere,” he said. “His relationship with Kamarul Baharin turned sour after the last party elections.”

In the PKR elections last year, Ravi challenged Kamarul Baharin for the Telok Kemang PKR chief’s position and beat him convincingly.

“I learnt that Kamarul Baharin himself will contest the Rahang state seat,” the source said. “So Ravi will not have any place where he can contest.”

As for the Rembau seat, sources said PKR had decided to let PAS contest there in exchange for Jempol.

In the last election, Chegu Bard lost in Rembau to Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin, but he is still tremendously popular there. Many observers, including politicians from outside PKR, see him as the most winnable opposition candidate there.

Lack of political energy

Chegu Bard is known to be the one of the most vocal members of the PKR state leadership council in questioning decisions made by Kamarul Baharin and his allies.

Insiders say he has regularly criticised the party’s state leadership for its lack of political energy.

Another likely victim of PKR internal politicking is Mohamad Rafie, deputy chief of the party’s Seremban division. His strongest base is the Ampangan state seat, which is part of the Seremban parliamentary constituency. However, FMT has learnt that PKR is willing to let PAS contest there in exchange for Lenggeng.

The current assemblyman for Ampangan is PKR’s Rashid Latif, who is not in good health and has indicated that he will not contest in the coming election.

“Kamarul dislikes Mohamad because of rumours last year that he wanted to take over the state leadership,” a member of Seremban PKR told FMT. “But the rumours were false.”

An official of Telok Kemang PKR, who requested anonymity, said party supremo Anwar Ibrahim and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail should intervene to ensure that Ravi, Chegu Bard and Mohamad remain on the list of election candidates.