SELANGOR Former Umno vice-president Muhammad Muhammad Taib, who has joined PAS, has been tasked to attract Malay voters in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency to Pakatan Rakyat and to help Pakatan to retain Selangor.

NONE Muhammad, who was Selangor menteri besar from 1986 to 1997, is a local boy, born in Kuala Kalumpang, which comes under the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency. Twice he won the Batang Kali state seat uncontested.

Also known as 'Mat Taib' and 'Mike Tyson', Sinar Harian reported that Muhammad was spotted in the constituency on Sunday, campaigning for PKR Hulu Selangor candidate Khalid Jaafar.

His appearance with Khalid, and the submission of his membership application form to PAS has confirmed that Muhammad is Pakatan's trump card in wresting Hulu Selangor.

His presence will also boost the Selangor Pakatan campaign, which is facing a furious onslaught from the well-oiled BN machinery.

PKR insiders said they are confident that Muhammad, who remains popular in the Hulu Selangor area, will attract Malay voters, as former senior Selangor exco member and Umno leader, the late Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad , did when he won the seat on the PKR ticket in GE12.

Zainal joined PKR in 2005, and though he hails from Cheras and contested the Dusun Tua state seat, he defeated the then MIC deputy president, G Palanivel, in the March 8, 2008 tsunami.

Four-way contest

The Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat sees a four-way contest, with incumbent P Kamalanathan of the BN defending his seat against Khalid and two independent candidates, former Masterskill Education Group Bhd chief executive officer R Santhara Kumar, who is also known as Edmund Santhara, and former Hulu Selangor local council member Radzali Mokhtar.

p kamalanathan "Muhammad has been tasked with helping to attract Malay voters to Khalid, while Edmund's participation may result in Kamalanathan's ( left ) Indian votes being split. This will help pave the way for Khalid to win Hulu Selangor," said a party insider.

However, Ridzuan, who was a local council member under the PKR ticket, could well shift some Malay support from PKR, but party officials remain confident that Muhammad's presence will woo the people to Khalid.

Muhammad told reporters yesterday that he believes PAS will bring enlightenment to Malaysia.

The former Selangor MB's presence in the opposition is seen as a big blow for caretaker Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is also Selangor BN chief, and the BN's all-out efforts to wrest Selangor back.

The state seats under Hulu Selangor are Hulu Bernam, Kuala Kubu Bharu and Batang Kali.

Batang Kali is also seeing a four-way contest, with Mat Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan (BN), R Ramachandran (PKR) and Mustapha Kamal Sapingi and Mustat Talib in the fray as independent candidates.

Kuala Kubu Baharu is seeing a five-way fight among BN's Jessie Ooi, DAP's Lee Kee Hiong, and three independents - S Nadaraja, Pritpal Singh and Yong Tham Fook, while the Hulu Bernam battle is a straight fight between BN's Rosni Sohar and Muhammad Idris Ahmad of PAS.

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