KUALA LUMPUR: The slate of Pakatan Harapan candidates for Perak hints that it wants to recapture the Silver State in the 15th General Election.
Analysts said this was shown in PKR announcing several high-profile candidates, such as party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin and Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Azmi Hassan said PKR and PH were clearly aiming to take Perak.
"The big guns are in Perak, with Anwar in Tambun. And this shows PH is aiming to form the next Perak government. This (Perak) is where the biggest guns are trained at," he told the New Straits Times.
Azmi said he was optimistic about the prospects of Nik Omar, a son of the late Pas spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, in Pasir Salak.
He said PH fielding a nationally known figure in Pasir Salak would force Barisan Nasional to put up a new person following the suspension of former member of parliament Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman from Umno.
The same however can't be said about Shamsul Iskandar contesting Bagan Datuk, as the constituency is firmly in the grip of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is BN chairman and Umno president.
"I do not know whether placing Shamsul Iskandar there is good because Bagan Datuk is synonymous with Zahid. I am quite sure Zahid will win. This means that PH or PKR do not mind sacrificing Shamsul Iskandar," he said.
Azmi said fielding prominent candidates in the BN strongholds of Pasir Salak and Bagan Datuk was another signal of PH's intentions in Perak.
He said another closely watched contest would be the one for the Gombak constituency in Selangor, between Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and his predecessor, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who is the immediate past MP and once a PKR leader.
The race for the Putrajaya constituency, Azmi said, would also be interesting as caretaker Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia vice-president, would stand there.
Universiti Malaya's Associate Professor Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said PH appeared to be taking a "Perak Pivot" by placing Anwar in Tambun, and fielding many fresh or notable faces to take on traditional Umno seats, like Padang Rengas, Pasir Salak and Bagan Datuk.
"Whether this strategy will pay off, we'll know in 21 days. (But) it has undoubtedly created some buzz as people see Anwar taking on a 'non-safe' seat."
Asked if PKR can wrest back seven of the 11 seats it lost when its lawmakers exited the party last year, Awang Azman said it depended on the voter turnout and young people voting.
"Also, whether the seat is under Perikatan Nasional or Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), which is beset with leadership problems between Datuk Larry Sng and Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin."
On several notable figures not on the PH candidate list, he said he was told that some of them had opted out of this eleciton.
"At the same time, political parties have an overarching strategy, and candidates are shifted or retained depending on those strategic considerations.
"Demographically speaking, as voters aged between 18 and 39 now make up almost half of the voters, it would not be a bad idea for parties to search for candidates that may speak more directly to this new electorate."
Political analyst Dr Ainul Adzellie Hasnul said Anwar had positioned some PKR heavyweights seats it had lost.
"Those who hold high positions in the party would be given seats considered safe.
"At the same time, the party also wanted to field new faces to woo more voters, especially the young."
On seats that the party lost from defections, Ainul Adzellie is confident that PKR could wrest back the seats.
"I think they (PKR candidates) can win, except in seats where key figures like Azmin are contesting. This is because Azmin is recognised as an efficient MP for Gombak."