PETALING JAYA: PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali is the best candidate for the role of opposition leader in Parliament, a former rival in the party said.

Former Umno minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who later joined PKR and contested against Mohamed Azmin for the No 2 post in 2010, wrote in his blog on Tuesday that Mohd Azmin is the best man to replace Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The endorsement for the Selangor Menteri Besar comes as a surprise considering Zaid had accused Mohamed Azmin and Anwar over alleged discrepancies and irregularities in the party elections.

“(Mohamed) Azmin has the resources and the political skills to replace Anwar,” Zaid said, adding that there was no room for sentimentality in having PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail or one of Anwar’s daughters to assume the opposition leader’s post. Zaid said the selection of the new opposition leader by Pakatan Rakyat is critical as it will show how serious the coalition is about forming the next government.

“The new opposition leader must be able to formulate more cohesive and united policies and show the BN (Barisan Nasional) that he is a formidable force in and outside of Parliament,” he said.

Zaid believes that Mohamed Azmin is the right choice as he can also expand Pakatan, and include Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia leaders and other groups in the country into the Pakatan leadership.

“This is because Anwar came from the same mould as [PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul] Hadi Awang. However, Mohamed Azmin has no love for Abim (Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia) and is therefore able to detach himself from the ulama faction of the Islamist party,” he said.

Parliament is set to reconvene on March 9. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 5, 2015.