PETALING JAYA, Nov 3 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) has named a top senior civil servant as its candidate for Perak mentri besar should the coalition succeed in wresting back the state from Umno in the coming general election (GE15).

PKR elections director Rafizi Ramli said he believes Datuk Seri Zainal Azman Abu Seman is the right man for the job.

Zainal has served as a Public Service Department (JPA) deputy director-general and Perak state secretary, among other key postings.

"He is the most qualified candidate.

"There has been a lack of Malay leaders in Perak who can balance elevating Malay support for PH and PKR, while being a steady hand in managing the state,” Rafizi told reporters at the PKR headquarters today.

Zainal was announced by PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on October 26 as a candidate for PKR in GE15.

He is expected to contest the Kuala Sepetang state seat.

Rafizi added PH would be fielding its big guns not only at the parliamentary level, but also at the state level to garner greater support from Malay voters.

The Malay-majority rural area was won by PKR in the 2008 and 2013 general elections, but was lost to Umno in the 2018 election by just 329 votes.

PH has chosen Perak as its battlefront in GE15, as symbolised by the coalition chairman gunning for Tambun parliamentary seat.

PH and its predecessor Pakatan Rakyat had won Perak from Barisan Nasional twice, with PH in 2018 and as Pakatan Rakyat in 2008.

However, both times, Umno managed to reinstate itself as the state government through political manoeuvres.