Pakatan fields academician and businesswoman to contest Putrajaya and Titiwangsa (Updated)

PUTRAJAYA: An academician and a businesswoman are Pakatan Harapan's candidates to be fielded in Putrajaya and Titiwangsa parliamentary constituencies respectively for the 14th General Election (GE14).
Former UKM political science lecturer Datuk Dr Samsu Adabi Mamat has been named as PH's candidate to wrest the Putrajaya seat from Barisan Nasional.
Samsu Adabi is also the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) Cheras division chief.
Meanwhile, PPBM woman chief Rina Mohd Harun would be the party’s sole representative in Kuala Lumpur, where she would stand in Titiwangsa.
The announcement was made by PPBM Federal Territories chief Capt (R) Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya in a special press conference at the party’s Putrajaya headquarters at Ayer@8 yesterday.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani are the incumbent MPs of Putrajaya and Titiwangsa respectively.
Tengku Adnan defended his Putrajaya seat in GE13 with 9,943 votes against Husam Musa - then a candidate under PAS - who polled 4,402 votes.
Meanwhile, first-timer Johari managed to wrest the Titiwangsa seat from PAS in the previous general election with a slim majority of 866 votes.
Muhammad Suhaimi said while many names were proposed to the party’s leadership to contest in both seats, Samsu Adabi and Rina were shortlisted based on several factors, including their leadership and credibility.
He added both candidates had been endorsed by the party’s election board, headed by PPBM chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
“The board believes that the two candidates are the most suitable and qualified for the face-off against the (Barisan Nasional) candidates in both seats,” Muhammad Suhaimi said.