GE15: If not Pandan, where would Wan Azizah contest?

KUALA LUMPUR : After the announcement that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be contesting the Parliamentary seat of Tambun - going head to head with incumbent Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu - the attention now shifts to other leaders within the party.

Among them is PKR Advisory Council Chairperson, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The Pandan MP, fondly known as Kak Wan, has yet to formally announce which seat she will be contesting.

Speculations are rife that she will be fielded in a new seat since PKR Deputy President, Rafizi Ramli is expected to make return to Pandan, the seat he won in GE13.

Therefore, which seat is she expected to contest this time around if the proposal for her to contest GE15 is accepted by the Pakatan Harapan leadership?

Astro AWANI takes a closer look at the possible seats she might contest in, focusing on Selangor and Kuala Lumpur - which traditionally, had been a stronghold for PKR.

Out of the 22 Parliamentary seats in Selangor, there are 13 potential seats that could be contested by PKR, according to seat allocations between component parties in PH.

But six seats come into focus, as seven are likely to be defended by its incumbents.

The six seats are Sabak Bernam, Sungai Besar, Tanjong Karang, Gombak, Ampang and Kuala Langat.

Looking at past election results, Gombak, Ampang and Kuala Langat would provide the best chance for PKR, owing to its a strong support garnered since 2018.

The incumbents of these seats were former top leadership of PKR namely, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin and Datuk Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

It is highly likely PKR will field an influential figure like Wan Azizah to wrestle one of these seats back to Harapan's fold.

Alternatively, Wan Azizah could potentially be fielded in one of the Parliaments under the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, where the party enjoys strong support.

Out of the 11 seats available in Kuala Lumpur, Wan Azizah could have a winning chance in five, based on Astro AWANI's analysis, but two seats stood out - Wangsa Maju and Bandar Tun Razak.

Wangsa Maju incumbent Datin Paduka Tan Yee Kew had announced her intention to not contest in GE15 Bandar Tun Razak is currently held by Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar, one of the PKR defectors involved in the 'Sheraton Move'.

So, where will Wan Azizah head to in GE15?

PKR-stronghold Permatang Pauh seat was considered, but it will likely be defended by incumbent and Wan Azizah's daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar.

We will find out next week when Pakatan Harapan leadership is expected to announce its GE15 candidates.