IT is easier to seek help from Bukit Antarabangsa constituency coordinator Suzana Shaharudin than from assemblyman Mohamed Azmin Ali, voters said. 

They told The Malaysian Insight that Suzana, who is part of the Selangor PKR machinery, is frequently seen in the area.

The residents said Suzana is more actively involved in the community than Azmin, who has held the seat since 2008.

Resident Sharifuddin Abdullah, 40, said he successfully received help from Suzana on several occasions.

“Praise be to God, our family has received many donations from Suzana.

“We are grateful she is around,” said the logistics worker.

Azmin first won the seat in the 2013 general election as a Pakatan Rakyat candidate, which led to him becoming Selangor menteri besar.

He managed to retain the seat in the 2018 polls as Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate, but was later dismissed from PKR for his role in the Sheraton Move.

Azmin, who was also Gombak MP at the time, then joined Bersatu and was appointed senior minister in the Muhyiddin Yassin administration.

He managed to retain his cabinet position when Barisan Nasional vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob took over as prime minister in August 2019.

Azmin then retained the Bukit Antarabangsa seat in last year’s polls as state elections have not been held, but lost the Gombak parliamentary seat.

Perikatan Nasional (PN), a coalition of which Bersatu is part of, lost in the elections, and since then Azmin has not been seen in Bukit Antarabangsa, voters said.

Sharifuddin said it is easier to see Suzana as she is always on the ground organising programmes with the residents.

“The people’s representative is Azmin, but what I see is the PKR assembly coordinator who always goes to the ground,” he said.

Sharifuddin said this should not happen because there are many issues that need attention in Bukit Antarabangsa such as traffic congestion, which makes life difficult for residents.

Three months ago, Azmin announced he was taking a short break from politics.

He said he wants to make new plans, but will continue to serve the people and the country.

His statement was released after losing the Gombak seat to Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari.

Another voter, Mimi Rahim, said she has never seen Azmin in the area.

Mimi, 30, also said the local authority’s excellent service in the area does not require their elected representatives to frequent the area.

The resident is not sure Azmin deserves praise for services provided by the local government in Bukit Antarabangsa.

“I personally have never seen Azmin so far, but the municipal council is quite effective. To be honest, I am not sure if I should praise the assemblyman or not,” she said.

Political analyst Mazlan Ali said Azmin is probably not seen much around Bukit Antarabangsa as he focused less on the state seat when he held a federal position.

“Azmin played a role at the federal level as a minister. That could be the reason he was not able to focus on Bukit Antarabangsa,” he said.

He said that Azmin’s move to take a break from politics is timely as Azmin risks repeating history and losing the Bukit Antarabangsa seat in the state polls.

Mazlan said the expectation for Azmin to lose in Bukit Antarabangsa is well-founded since he is no longer with PH, which is supported by voters of many ethnicities.

“If you want to link Azmin’s lack of confidence in Bukit Antarabangsa, there is a basis. This is an urban Malay area, where the number of non-Malay voters is quite significant,” said Mazlan.

Malay voters make up around 53% of the constituency.

PN is known as a Malay- and Muslim-majority coalition. It was rejected by mixed and non-Malay-majority areas in the last general election.

Mazlan said his view is based on voters’ attitudes seen at the Kuala Ampang voting district centre.

The Chinese-majority centre helped Azmin to victory in the 2018 polls after it was transferred to Bukit Antarabangsa from Hulu Kelang.

Azmin’s majority then rose by more than 20% from his 2013 figures, allowing him to garner more than 25,500 votes in 2018.

Mazlan said the situation will change in the upcoming Selangor polls because the group that supported Azmin at the time is expected to topple him.

“It is possible that he will face problems in this area because there are many Chinese voters in Kuala Ampang. The trend of Chinese voters is not in favour of PN.”

Mazlan said this will be one of Azmin’s biggest challenges if he contests in the state polls.

“Not only is it a matter of service to the people, but it is also a matter of no longer being with PH and being in a Malay-based political bloc.

“Azmin’s (announcement that he wants) to rest for a while may also be the result of him losing in Gombak, and if he loses again in Bukit Antarabangsa, it will affect his credibility as a senior politician.”

Awang Azman Awang Pawi from Universiti Malaya said Azmin should explore other areas because data showed he could lose in Bukit Antarabangsa.

“His statement that he is taking a short break is very subjective. It could be two months, three months, six months, or five years.

“It’s like (he wants) to test the field, a strategy to observe,” he said.

He said the announcement may be Azmin’s strategic move in looking at other areas he can contest.

PN leaders indicated they are considering having Azmin return as Selangor menteri besar if the coalition succeeds in forming the state government.

Azmin faces an uphill battle if he continues to compete in Bukit Antarabangsa, Selangor PN deputy election director Zulkafperi Hanapi said.

Zulkafperi reportedly said PN aims to win 33 of Selangor’s 56 state seats in the coming polls. – February 20, 2023.