RAFIZI Ramli has backed Dr S. Streram as the best possible candidate should there be a by-election for the Rantau state seat.

The outgoing PKR vice-president said this is because the Rantau state seat had the highest percentage of Indian voters in all of Malaysia.

“In my view, Dr Streram is the best candidate, the most qualified and most deserving,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the PKR annual congress in Shah Alam today.

“Even though it was won by Umno, Indians make up 32% of the voters there. It has the highest composition of Indian voters in Malaysia,” Rafizi said.

“It should be an Indian candidate and before the 14th general election I had urged PKR to field such a candidate. Based on studies by Invoke, an Indian candidate is the best choice,” said the founder of the data-analytics outfit that many have credited for helping Pakatan Harapan win the general election.

Rumours had been swirling that Rafizi would be named as the PKR candidate for the Rantau seat after the Election Court in Seremban yesterday nullified the general election result and declared that a by-election should be held immediately.

Rafizi, however, denied this today, maintaining that Dr Streram, the Rembau PKR deputy chief, should be the one chosen. 

The seat was won uncontested by Umno deputy president and former Negri Sembilan menteri besar Mohamad Hasan in the May vote.

Earlier, PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim had said that a different candidate might be fielded in Rantau and that this person would be selected first by the division there.

Dr Streram, who won his legal challenge to nullify the result of the general election yesterday, said he is confident that he would be chosen to represent Rantau again.

He had filed a petition on the grounds that Mohamad’s unopposed win was illegitimate as returning officer Amino Agus Suyub had not allowed him (Dr Streram) to file his nomination papers.

Mohamad has 14 days, however, to file an appeal before the Election Commission can decide on a by-election date.

Rafizi said Dr Streram had the moral right to contest the seat again as he had done a lot of work among the grassroots for two years and knew the locals in Rantau.

“He was the one knocking on doors, he was known by the people, and that is why Umno in the general election was so nervous about facing him that it did prevented him from filing his nomination papers,” Rafizi claimed.

The Rantau state seat has more than 20,000 voters, made up of Malays (50%), Indians (27%), Chinese (19%) and others (1%). – November 17, 2018.