IPOH (Nov 11): PKR-turned-Bersatu incumbent Tambun Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu has said he and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim both have a "fair chance" to win the seat in Perak.

The Bersatu deputy president said on Friday (Nov 11) that he only called Anwar a "giant" for the size of the Anwar's billboard campaign for the 15th general election (GE15).

Faizal, who is also the caretaker youth and sports minister, was responding to the press on whether he could bring an end to his mentor-turned-opponent Anwar's political career. 

Anwar is the prime minister candidate for the Pakatan Harapan coalition.

"In Tambun, when you go for a drive, you can see a huge picture of him, bigger than the building. That is why I called him a giant," Faizal said after a Cantonese culture event held at a Chinese restaurant in Ipoh, Perak.

"But to me, he is just a name, another leader. We both have a fair chance, so he is not that big of a giant."

Faizal added that he did not feel "awkward" at the Chinese-concentrated event as the majority of the attendees in the 120-packed hall were his friends.

The Chenderiang assemblyman is defending his Tambun seat under the Perikatan Nasional ticket — where he previously won with a majority of 5,320 votes, but foregoing his incumbent state seat in GE15. 

Besides Anwar, Faizal is competing with Tambun Umno division chief Datuk Aminuddin Md Hanafiah (Barisan Nasional) and Parti Pejuang Tanah Air's Abdul Rahim Tahir for the Tambun seat.

The Tambun seat has a total of 160,558 voters, comprising 50.46% female and 49.54% male voters. Most of them (37,321) are in the 21-to-29 age group.

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