[Bluebull]

Netizens hail fall of ‘political frogs’ in GE15

PETALING JAYA: Many Malaysians have taken to social media to celebrate the fall of the “frogs” involved in the Sheraton Move, which led to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government over two years ago.

The two former MPs who got the most flak online were former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who lost in Gombak, and its former Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin who was humiliated in Ampang where she lost her deposit.

One comment on Facebook described their loss as “sweet revenge” by voters who were let down by the Sheraton Move.

“I don’t know how they could come back to the constituencies where voters were waiting to kick the frogs out,” said another commentator.

Azmin lost to Selangor menteri besar Amiruddin Saari by 12,729 votes while Zuraidah only managed to get 4,589 votes in the nine-cornered fight that saw Pakatan Harapan’s Rodziah Ismail winning with a majority of 29,681 votes.

Former deputy foreign minister Kamaruddin Jaafar, who also left PKR to join Bersatu following the Sheraton Move, was trounced by Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in the Bandar Tun Razak seat.

The five-term MP previously won the Tumpat parliamentary seat for four terms when he was with PAS, before standing in Bandar Tun Razak under the PKR banner in the 2018 general election (GE14).

Another ex-PKR MP, former deputy speaker Rashid Hasnon also failed to defend his Batu Pahat seat.

Former Penang state exco member Dr Afif Bahardin lost in Shah Alam to his former PKR colleague Azli Yusof.

However, foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah, who also left PKR to join Bersatu, retained the Indera Mahkota seat.

A few others who left PKR having won their seats on a PH ticket in GE14, decided not to contest this time around, including Steven Chong (Tebrau), Edmund Santhara Kumar (Segamat) and Xavier Jayakumar (Kuala Langat).

As for Bersatu MPs who remained with the party after it left PH, most appeared to have escaped the voters’ wrath but there were a few losers.

The biggest casualty was youth and sports minister Ahmad Faisal Azumu who lost his Tambun seat to PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim. Faisal, who is Bersatu deputy president, left Umno in 2017 to join Bersatu. The former Perak menteri besar chose not to contest a state seat in GE15.

Another casualty from Bersatu was women, family and community development minister Rina Harun, who lost in Sepang. In GE14, she won the Titiwangsa seat but decided not to defend it this time around.

Former entrepreneur development minister Redzuan Yusof, who is a Bersatu Supreme Council member, also failed to defend his Alor Gajah seat.