IPOH, October 20 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today that he will contest the Tambun parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election.

The PKR president said he was not like other leaders who went for a seat with large safety buffer, and was willing to take risks in order to resolve the political issues in Perak.

"I want the people and our supporters to know that we can win back Tambun. I want to bring back the dignity of Perak.

"We want to make sure Perak to be a giant in the economy,” he said in his speech at the Pakatan Harapan 2022 Convention held at the Ipoh Convention Centre (ICC) here.

Anwar, who is also the PH’s candidate for the prime minister’s post, said that coalition has identified Perak as a frontline state for the general election.

The Tambun incumbent is former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

Ahmad Faizal, commonly called Peja, is also Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) deputy president and the incumbent youth and sports minister

Ahmad Faizal, who contested on PKR’s ticket in the previous election, won the seat with majority of 5,320 defeating former finance minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and PAS’ Muhamad Zulkifli Mohamad Zakaria.

However, he defected to Perikatan Nasional along with Bersatu during the Sheraton Move of 2020.

On September 28, Anwar revealed his intention that he had to pick areas held by traitors as a message that treachery in politics was not acceptable.

Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming had openly welcomed Anwar to contest in the state, stating that there was a traitor in Tambun as well, during the party’s recent state convention.

Perak DAP vice-chief Abdul Aziz Bari had also planned to make his parliamentary debut run there, but said he would step aside if Anwar chose to contest there.

Anwar was elected Port Dickson MP in an October 2018 by-election after he received a royal pardon and was released from imprisonment over a sodomy charge.

Prior to that, he had been Permatang Pauh MP for several terms.