Saifuddin attempts a first with seats in Penang and Kedah

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail intends to make history by becoming the first politician in Malaysia to win a seat each in two states in one general election.
Saifuddin has been selected to contest the Kulim-Bandar Baru parliament seat in Kedah and the Pantai Jerejak state seat in Penang.
"It is manageable and I have teams deployed in both constituencies. I am ready and hopefully, the voters can support my quest to win in both areas," said Saifuddin, who is the PKR secretary-general.
He is confident of managing the logistics and localising the issues in both seats.
He said both seats are tough as he would be a new face in Pantai Jerejak while in Kulim-Bandar Baru, he would be up against the incumbent from Barisan Nasional, Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir.
Abdul Aziz is the younger brother of the two political siblings —Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, the president of Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia and Datuk Seri Musa Sheikh Fadzir, the Penang Umno secretary.
Saifuddin lost by 1,871 votes to Abdul Aziz in the last election.
The PKR secretary-general had contested previously in Lunas state seat, Kulim and in Machang parliament, Kelantan. He has won both seats separately from 1999 to 2013.
Saifuddin announced last night that his family, including his sons, would assist him in canvassing for votes.
He got off to an early start by starting his campaign with a walkabout at the Bayan Baru wet market around 7am with his team of volunteers and party faithful.
If he wins in Pantai Jerejak, Saifuddin is in with a chance to be the next Deputy Chief Minister I of Penang, taking over from Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, who was relocated to his home state of Johor by contesting in Batu Pahat this time.
Before Rashid, it was Datuk Mansor Othman, who is now defending his Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat, who was the deputy chief minister 1 here from 2008 until 2013.
Earlier when speaking at the launching of the Permatang Pauh parliamentary's elections' operations room for the PKR candidate Nurul Izzah Anwar, Saifuddin said PAS has shown its true colours of been a coward for not facing off against DAP.
"The Islamist party had condemned DAP as an anti-Malay party but when it comes to an election, it stays away from the socialist party."
By right, PAS should take on DAP in all seats, since it had accused the latter of being an anti-Islam organisation, said Saifuddin.