SEMENYIH, Feb 15 — Datuk Seri Azmin Ali touted his popularity as the previous Selangor mentri besar in a speech to launch Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) election machinery here tonight, hoping to boost morale as the coalition prepares its defence of the Semenyih state seat.

The PKR leader said his actions as mentri besar proved his dedication to Selangor voters, and the support he received was testament of PH’s success in governing the state.

He bragged about how he raised the state budget for Selangor’s religious agencies, and said it reflected his commitment to Islam, or how he stood up to allegedly greedy private developers who refused to build affordable homes.

“You know how much I allocated? RM400 million,” he said before party workers and grassroots leaders.

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“And what did we do with it? We built mosques, surau and schools so that we would raise good Muslim youths who reject corruption.”

The campaign trail for the Semenyih state seat by-election begins tomorrow. Political analysts said the contest will be a litmus test for the ruling coalition, both at the state and federal level.

Pakatan Harapan supporters wave flags during the launch of the party’s operations centre in Semenyih February 15, 2019. — Picture by Hari Anggara
Pakatan Harapan supporters wave flags during the launch of the party’s operations centre in Semenyih February 15, 2019. — Picture by Hari Anggara

Azmin built a reputation as a “people’s man” among the state’s voters during his three-year stint as Selangor MB, thanks to several pro-welfare policies.

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The fact that he is a Selangor native also made him endearing to locals, and he was quick to exploit that tonight. PH strategists know his presence during the campaign trail will be a tremendous boost for the coalition.

“Selangor will always be in my heart, even if I am in Putrajaya now,” he said. Azmin is now the economic affairs minister.

Incumbent Bakhtiar Mohd Nor of PPBM died of heart attack on January 11 to force the by-election.

PH won the seat in the 14th general election with over 8,000-vote majority. PPBM has named 30-year-old engineer Muhammad Aiman Zainali as their candidate.

Barisan Nasional is banking on local Umno leader Zakaria Hanafi. PSM, which has considerable base there, is fielding Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul.