Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has officially adopted the Pandan parliamentary constituency following the resignation of its former MP, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) [1, 2, 3, 4]. The announcement was made between May 23 and May 24 at the Himpunan Setia Keadilan Pandan gathering [1, 2, 3, 4].
The resignations of Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the Setiawangsa MP, were announced on May 17, effective May 18, with both leaving PKR on May 19 [1, 2, 3, 5, 4]. Despite these high-profile departures, PKR leaders maintain that party services and operations in Pandan and the neighboring Ampang constituency have not been disrupted or weakened [1, 2, 3, 4].
PKR vice-president Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari described Anwar's adoption of Pandan as part of the party leadership's effort to reorganize the parliamentary service centre and party machinery there. He said, "So we have arranged for (Tengku Zafrul) to serve as the government's representative and, of course, the Prime Minister's representative in Pandan" [1]. Amirudin added that Tengku Zafrul has also been entrusted to monitor the Ampang parliamentary constituency, noting, "The leadership in Ampang consists of PKR members, so I do not want to interfere further. But if any issues arise in Ampang, Tengku Zafrul can also look into them" [2].
Anwar's senior political adviser, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, was appointed as the party's monitoring officer for Pandan at Anwar's own request, as he wants to play a more active role in Selangor politics [1, 2, 3, 4]. Tengku Zafrul has been working closely with local municipal councils and Selangor assemblymen to address residents' concerns [5]. He appealed for strong cooperation from PKR leaders and grassroots members in Pandan and Ampang to ensure effective party activities. He said, "I need guidance and advice from all of you. I sincerely hope everyone will join me in reaching every corner of Ampang and Pandan, whether in housing areas or villages" [3].
Regarding whether he will contest the Pandan seat in the 16th general election (GE16), Tengku Zafrul said the decision rests with party president Anwar Ibrahim. "That question, you will have to ask the president of the party. I don’t know. I leave it to the party leadership to decide," he said [5].
