KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Simpang Renggam Member of Parliament (MP) Maszlee Malik has confirmed that he is contesting for the post of Simpang Renggam division chief in the PKR election 2022.

The former education minister told Bernama this in a WhatsApp message tonight.

"Yes, I am vying for the Simpang Renggam division chief post,” he said.

In November last year, Maszlee rejoined PKR, a party which he first signed up for in 2017 through the Ampang division.

Maszlee then joined the Bersatu supreme council and was appointed education minister under the Pakatan Harapan government. However, he was expelled by the party in May 2020 and became an independent MP.

Earlier, media reports said three celebrities are joining the PKR election, including actor and producer Datuk Adflin Shauki, who is contesting for the post of Setiawangsa division chief.

Nominations for the PKR divisional polls began last Sunday and will close at 11.59pm today while nominations for posts in the central leadership and Youth and Wanita movements were held yesterday.

Meanwhile, PKR Youth (AMK) chief Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir confirmed that he is not defending his post and indicated he might be seeking a post in the Central Leadership Council (MPP).

The Johor Baru MP said for now he is set on defending the post of Johor Baharu division chief.

"Not defending (Youth chief post); I’ve completed my term in AMK. Now I’m focused on defending the Johor Bharu division chief post. MPP (nomination) will be decided later,” he told Bernama in a WhatsApp message.

Today, Bernama reported PKR Election Committee chairman Zaliha Mustafa as confirming that only former university student activists Adam Adli Abdul Halim and Fahmi Faizol are contesting for the Youth chief post.

PKR has decided that nominations for 20 MPP, Wanita and AMK posts at the National Congress which should have been held yesterday have been postponed to May 28. — Bernama