BERSATU chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad tonight turned down PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali’s offer of the Gombak parliamentary seat.

He thanked Azmin for offering him the seat to contest in the 14th general election, but said he already had his sights set on one of three seats – Putrajaya, Langkawi or Kubang Pasu.

“Thank you so much for the offer, but I have made my decision. It’s either Putrajaya, Langkawi or Kubang Pasu.”

Dr Mahathir said contesting the Gombak seat had never crossed his mind.

PKR election director Nurul Izzah Anwar applauded Azmin’s intentions, but said there was a deliberate process of inter-party negotiations, as well as intra-party deliberations.

“As ‘soldiers’, no seat really belongs to any one of us,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

However, she said, Azmin’s offer was a heartwarming display of unity and sacrifice.

Azmin, who is also Selangor menteri besar, had offered his federal seat to Dr Mahathir on Friday.

He had said Dr Mahathir could take his seat as long as the party agreed to it.

“I am prepared to give way to Dr Mahathir to contest in the Gombak constituency, if it’s allowed by PKR,” he had tweeted.

Later, Azmin said in a statement that Dr Mahathir would make a good candidate for Gombak due to its racial composition.

“Even though I won by a small margin, or 52% of the votes, it is a Malay-majority seat and was a stronghold of Umno for many decades.

“I believe Dr Mahathir can pull more votes from Umno supporters in GE14.”

Dr Mahathir and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail are Pakatan Harapan’s choice for prime minister and deputy prime minister if the opposition coalition wins federal power.

Meanwhile, Selangor Umno said Azmin’s offer was an excuse for him to get out of contesting in Gombak.

“Gombak residents are unhappy with Azmin as he has not visited many areas in the constituency,” said state Umno secretary Johan Abdul Aziz.

PAS research director Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki also scoffed at Azmin’s offer, describing it as a “poisoned chalice” meant to stumble Dr Mahathir instead of helping him.

“I don’t know what Azmin’s motive is in letting the Gombak seat go, but I can say it is a seat that is not safe for PKR, based on our analysis of three-cornered fights.

“If it is not safe for him (Azmin), then I am sure it is even more unsafe for Dr Mahathir, as Gombak voters are urban folk who have been through ‘reformasi’ in the past,” said Zuhdi.

Azmin currently holds the Bukit Antarabangsa state seat and the Gombak parliamentary seat.

His state seat has also been targeted by Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Md Yunos, who previously said he would challenge the menteri besar in any seat in Selangor if he was picked by Umno to contest in GE14.

Jamal had also said he would do a better job as menteri besar than Azmin. – January 14, 2018.