Xavier makes way for Malay candidate in Sungai Kandis

16-Apr-2018, 16:28

16 Apr 2018, 16:28

The PKR vice-president is being moved out of Seri Andalas, now known as Sungai Kandis, after a drastic change in its racial composition.

Free Malaysia Today — Two-term Seri Andalas assemblyman Xavier Jayakumar confirms he will not defend the seat but has not been told where he will stand next.

SHAH ALAM:

PKR vice-president Xavier Jayakumar confirmed today that he would not defend his former Seri Andalas state seat, now renamed Sungai Kandis, in the coming general election (GE14).

Xavier won Seri Andalas in the 2008 general election and retained it in GE13.

He said PKR would nominate a Malay to contest the seat as the electorate’s racial composition had undergone a drastic change.

“The seat used to have a mixed electorate of 54% non-Malays and 46% Malays.

“But now, Sungai Kandis has become a Malay-majority seat, with nearly 78% of the voters from the community. This is why PKR has decided to field a Malay candidate there,” he told reporters at Bangunan SUK Selangor.

Xavier said he did not yet know where he would stand.

“I leave the decision to the party on whether I should contest a state or parliamentary seat,” he added.

Sources told FMT that Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei, who held the Sri Muda seat now renamed Kota Kemuning, is likely to be switched to Sungai Kandis.

However, the PKR leadership has not made any decision on where Xavier will contest.

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